Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Image quality and technical limitations in emergency department cardiac point-of-care ultrasound: A retrospective cohort study.
To assess the image quality and common technical limitations seen on cardiac point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) performed and archived in a single New Zealand ED. ⋯ In the present study of clinically indicated cardiac POCUS, low image quality was common but the impact of image quality on diagnostic interpretation was very rarely documented in the medical record. Local quality assurance and training should be directed at credentialed and uncredentialed clinicians including strategies to improve off-axis imaging and managing artefacts where possible. Standardised documentation of image quality that may impact diagnostic accuracy should be encouraged.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Casemix and performance of Australian emergency departments: A comparison of major city, regional and remote locations.
EDs are an essential service, and higher rates of presentations per population are seen in regional and remote areas compared to major cities. Australia-wide differences in utilisation and performance remain largely unknown. ⋯ Our study highlights ED utilisation, casemix and performance by location. The differences observed, especially areas of inequity and need for interventions, reiterate that imperative regional and remote EDs are appropriately resourced to support the communities they serve.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Refining ambulance clinical response models: The impact on ambulance response and emergency department presentations.
The ambulance service in Victoria, Australia implemented a revised clinical response model (CRM) in 2016 which was designed to increase the diversion of low-acuity Triple Zero (000) calls to secondary telephone triage and reduce emergency ambulance dispatches. The present study evaluates the influence of the revised CRM on emergency ambulance response times and ED presentations. ⋯ The revised CRM was associated with improved Code 1 response time performance. However, there was no improvement in response times for high acuity patients, and no change in the proportion of callers presenting to ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Trends in reported GHB-related presentations to Sydney emergency departments between 2012 and 2021.
In overdose, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its precursors can cause decreased levels of consciousness, coma and death. Here, we aim to describe reported exposure to GHB at four EDs in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ⋯ Increases in recorded absolute number and severity of GHB-related presentations to Sydney EDs are a major public health concern. There may also be shifts in the demographics of those with GHB-related presentations. Renewed efforts are required to understand the drivers of these increases to optimally target harm reduction approaches.