Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study
A national survey of clinical practice for the management of whiplash-associated disorders in UK emergency departments.
To undertake a national survey to determine current practice for the management of whiplash injuries in UK emergency departments (ED). ⋯ Verbal advice is the primary method for managing whiplash injuries in ED and is usually supplemented by written advice. Within individual hospitals there is a lack of consistency between verbal and written advice. The promotion of personal injury claims is a common feature of written advice. Research is required to develop effective and consistent models of advice.
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Multicenter Study
Can undergraduate paramedic students accurately identify lung sounds?
The accurate identification of lung sounds during chest auscultation is a skill commonly used by healthcare clinicians, including paramedics, when assessing a patient's respiratory status. It is a necessary skill as it enables confirmation of a patient's respiratory condition and guides the paramedic to a provisional diagnosis and the implementation of appropriate management. The object of this study was to identify if undergraduate paramedic students from two Australian universities were able to interpret a variety of lung sounds accurately. ⋯ In this study undergraduate paramedic students from two Australian universities were found to be inaccurate at interpreting a variety of common lung sounds. The study has highlighted that a greater emphasis needs to be given to lung sound interpretation in undergraduate paramedic education programmes.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Comparing methods of detecting alcohol-related emergency department presentations.
To assess the strengths and limitations of different methods for detecting alcohol-related emergency department (ED) presentations and to compare the characteristics of patients who present to the ED with an alcohol-related presentation with ED patients who are found to be risky drinkers by a questionnaire. ⋯ Not all patients with an alcohol-related ED presentation usually drink at risky levels, nor do all risky drinkers present to the ED for an alcohol-related reason. The use of routinely recorded nursing triage text detects over a third of alcohol-related ED presentations with no additional burden on busy clinicians. As these data are potentially readily accessible, further research is needed to evaluate their validity for the detection of alcohol-related ED presentations.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Observer agreement of the Manchester Triage System and the Emergency Severity Index: a simulation study.
To compare inter and intra-observer agreement of the Manchester Triage System (MTS) and the Emergency Severity Index (ESI). ⋯ Using paper-based clinical scenarios, MTS was found to have a greater inter and intra-observer agreement than ESI.
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Multicenter Study
Use of prehospital dressings in soft tissue trauma: is there any conformity or plan?
Acute soft tissue wounds are commonly seen in the prehospital setting. It was hypothesised that there is a lack of consistency in early management of trauma wounds, particularly in the dressings used. ⋯ This study confirmed that there is currently no national standard protocol for early acute wound management in the prehospital care setting. The key areas for improvement are cleansing, simplification of dressings and the introduction of standardised protocols and teaching.