Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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To determine the impact of reorganisation of an acute admissions process on numbers of people in the emergency department (ED) awaiting admission to a hospital bed in a major teaching hospital. ⋯ This study found that reorganisation of a system for acute medical admissions can significantly impact on the number of patients awaiting admission to a hospital bed, and allow an ED to operate efficiently and at a level of risk acceptable to patients.
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Proximal tibiofibular joint dislocation is an uncommon injury, which may be easily missed on plain radiography. If recognised, it can be treated in the emergency department, avoiding surgery and long term problems. The case is presented of a 22 year old male rugby player who was tackled from the left hand side while turning to the left. ⋯ Diagnosis is largely clinical, but the findings may be subtle. Plain films may not show any abnormality and computed tomography is the investigation of choice if there is clinical suspicion for the injury. The dislocation should be reduced in the emergency department, but controversy exists whether early mobilisation or casting is the most appropriate course of action.
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To standardise the names for key roles in a major incident. ⋯ There is agreement for a standardised nomenclature for major incident roles. However, consensus may be difficult to achieve from within an expert group.
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To document internet access and health related usage patterns by families of children in a large paediatric emergency department (ED), and to discover if parents want the internet to become a tool for transferring medical test results. ⋯ The majority of families have internet access and most want to receive medical information electronically and to send it to the primary provider. The vast use of internet for health related information emphasises the need to guide parents regarding reliable resources online, possibly as part of their ED visit.