Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2007
Factors affecting severity of bicycle-related injuries: the role of helmets in preventing head injuries.
To identify factors that affect the severity of bicycle-related injuries in patients with head injury compared with those without, so as to find whether the effect of using helmets extends beyond head protection, and to explore a direct protective effect of helmets on head injuries. ⋯ The reduced severity of injury in helmeted patients is because of protection of the head and not other body regions.
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Increasing demand to reduce patient waiting times and improve patient flow has led to the introduction of a number of strategies such as fast track and patient streaming. The triage nurse is primarily responsible for identifying suitable patients, based on prediction of likely admission or discharge. The aim of the present study was to explore the accuracy with which triage nurses predict patient disposition. ⋯ Triage nurses can accurately predict likely discharge in specific subgroups of ED patients. This supports the role of triage nurses in appropriately identifying patients suitable for 'fast track' or streaming.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2007
From emergency department to general practitioner: evaluating emergency department communication and service to general practitioners.
To survey general practitioners' (GPs) opinions of communication and service received from the ED of a tertiary metropolitan hospital. ⋯ Half of GPs surveyed supported the current system of patient delivered discharge letters and of those who did not the majority preferred faxed discharges. There was little support for email communication. GPs reported problems with the current communication system including discharge letters not reaching GPs and deficiencies in the discharge information. GP reported substantial difficulties in accessing outstanding investigation results. Most GPs felt that assessment and treatment of their patients in the ED was of above average quality, as was the overall service they received from the ED. There was GP support for the ED admitting officer role.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2007
Comparative StudyThe safety of nurse clearance of the cervical spine using the National Emergency X-radiography Utilization Study low-risk criteria.
To determine the level of agreement between trained ED nursing staff and senior ED medical staff in the application and interpretation of the National Emergency X-radiography Utilization Study (NEXUS) low-risk criteria (NLC). ⋯ The study demonstrated a high level of agreement between nursing and medical staff for stable low-risk trauma patients.