Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
-
Review Meta Analysis
Systemic antibiotics after incision and drainage of simple abscesses: a meta-analysis.
Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of cutaneous abscesses. While there is general agreement that abscesses should be treated with incision and drainage, it is unclear whether systemic antibiotics should be routinely prescribed. ⋯ When given in addition to incision and drainage, systemic antibiotics do not significantly improve the percentage of patients with complete resolution of their abscesses.
-
Little is known about the expectations of patients attending the emergency department (ED) with minor injuries. Failure to address expectations may lead to dissatisfaction and poor compliance. We aimed to describe patient expectations of minor injury care and explore the association between unmet expectations and patient satisfaction. ⋯ Patients often expect interventions for minor injuries that they do not receive, but in most cases an explanation was given. We were unable to demonstrate an association between unmet expectations and reduced satisfaction with care.
-
Social media and mobile applications that allow people to work anywhere are changing the way people can contribute and collaborate. ⋯ It is feasible to engage a mobile workforce to complete health research-related tasks. Participants were able to validate information about emergency public health resources.
-
Mass media campaigns for stroke awareness encourage the public to recognise stroke symptoms and respond to stroke in a timely manner. However, there is little evidence to suggest that media messages can influence behaviour after stroke onset. The F.A.S.T. (Face Arm Speech Time) test is a common stroke recognition tool used in public education campaigns. ⋯ This first Irish F.A.S.T. campaign had an initial impact on ED attendance of patients with stroke symptoms. However, the campaign effects were not sustained in the long term. Results indicate that prehospital delay in accessing acute stroke services is a complex process with involvement of factors other than stroke knowledge and intention to call 911.
-
To investigate whether elderly patients, presenting following trauma and requiring immobilisation and imaging of the cervical spine, require increased use of CT and spend longer immobilised when compared to the younger population. ⋯ Half of the elderly patients underwent CT, and they were immobilised for significantly longer than younger patients. Measures should be adopted to facilitate early diagnosis and mitigate complications of prolonged immobilisation in elderly patients with neck trauma.