Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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The National Service Framework for coronary heart disease established clear standards for the management of patients with acute myocardial infarction in March 2000. This study evaluates an emergency department's thrombolysis performance in light of these standards. ⋯ The thrombolysis target set by the National Service Framework for April 2002 is achievable. The target set for April 2003 remains an ambitious goal. Overall call to needle times are undermined by call to door times. Emergency department teams may be more efficient than duty physicians in processing patients needing thrombolysis.
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To ascertain whether the weather affects the attendance rate of children with injuries at a paediatric accident and emergency department. ⋯ These findings confirm the anecdotal belief that warm sunny weather results in a higher attendance of paediatric injuries.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Computer assisted assessment and advice for "non-serious" 999 ambulance service callers: the potential impact on ambulance despatch.
To investigate the potential impact for ambulance services of telephone assessment and triage for callers who present with non-serious problems (Category C calls) as classified by ambulance service call takers. ⋯ The findings indicate that telephone assessment of Category C calls identifies patients who are less likely to require emergency department care and that this could have a significant impact on emergency ambulance dispatch rates. Nurses were more likely than paramedics to assess calls as requiring an alternative response to emergency ambulance despatch, but the extent to which this relates to aspects of training and professional perspective is unclear. However, consideration should be given to the acceptability, reliability, and cost consequences of this intervention before it can be recommended for full evaluation.