Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2004
ReviewCyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors: do they have a role in emergency department prescribing?
Cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitors (COXIB or CSI) have been released with a fanfare as efficacious and safer alternatives to traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They purport to offer equivalent degrees of analgesia and an improved safety profile. ⋯ This review discusses the pharmacology of these agents and reviews recent literature regarding their effectiveness and safety. It endeavours to answer the question 'Should we be using COXIB in emergency departments in Australasia'?
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2004
Comparative StudyMultidisciplinary assessment at triage: a new way forward.
To evaluate a dual doctor and nurse triage system at a tertiary referral hospital. ⋯ We feel that multidisciplinary triage performs a useful function in our department enabling us to reduce waiting times. The process is widely accepted amongst the staff and it ensures a senior doctor assesses most patients. It reduces the number of patients leaving prior to being seen by a doctor and it provides one way of getting around access block and a physically small department.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2004
Clinical effects of exposure to the White-stemmed gum moth (Chelepteryx collesi).
The White-stemmed gum moth (Chelepteryx collesi) can be found in eastern Australia. The clinical effects of injuries caused by its many spine-like hairs are poorly defined and concern about the numerous hairs that remain embedded following contact with the cocoon have led to heroic means of removal. ⋯ The clinical effects of the White-stemmed gum moth were minor with local pain. Although hairs remained in all cases, they caused no problems. Complete removal of hairs is neither possible nor necessary, and painful and invasive methods should be avoided.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2004
Pilot study of metropolitan emergency department workload complexity.
Assessment of emergency department (ED) patient complexity using the number of procedures, investigations or consultations (PICsum). ⋯ An intuitive partition in the complexity distribution is identified at up to one procedure, one investigation and one consultation. Patient age is correlated with complexity and ED age distribution may be a useful proxy for complexity, particularly if used in conjunction with validated age versus complexity tables.