Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2008
ReviewReview article: hypertonic saline use in the emergency department.
Hypertonic saline (HS) is being increasingly used for the management of a variety of conditions, most notably raised intracranial pressure. This article reviews the available evidence on HS solutions as they relate to emergency medicine, and develops a set of recommendations for its use. ⋯ HS is also recommended for treating severe and symptomatic hyponatremia, and is worth considering for both recalcitrant tricyclic antidepressant toxicity and for cerebral oedema complicating paediatric diabetic ketoacidosis. HS is not recommended for hypovolaemic resuscitation.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2008
Australasian emergency physicians: a learning and educational needs analysis. Part five: barriers to CPD experienced by FACEM, and attitudes to the ACEM MOPS programme.
To determine the barriers to continuous professional development (CPD) perceived by Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM), their opinions on the maintenance of professional standards programme (MOPS), and other aspects of education. ⋯ These findings may assist in facilitating increased participation in CPD by FACEM.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2008
Australasian emergency physicians: A learning and educational needs analysis. Part six: differences in confidence, exposure to learning and expressed learning needs by subgroups of Australasian emergency physicians.
To determine differences in the confidence and learning needs between subgroups of Fellows of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM), according to sex, type of hospital of principal employment, region of practice in Australasia, year of obtaining the fellowship and percentage of hours worked clinically. ⋯ These findings might assist planning CPD for EP.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2008
Comparative StudyEffect of a review course on emergency medicine residents' self-confidence.
Several organizations offer review courses designed to guide final-year (postgraduate year five) residents' study for their certification examination. The effect of these courses on residents' confidence is unknown. Self-confidence has been positively linked with examination performance. The present study measures the impact of a review course on fifth-year emergency medicine residents' overall confidence and confidence in their: (i) knowledge and its application; (ii) planned study strategies to master the knowledge/application; and (iii) recognition that mastery of knowledge/application had been achieved. ⋯ A review course increased emergency medicine residents' self-assessed confidence in their knowledge/application, in their study strategies and in their recognition of mastery, beyond the course specifics.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2008
Accuracy of current clinical diagnosis in recreational drug-related attendance to the emergency department.
To determine the accuracy of current clinical diagnosis in recreational drug-related attendances to emergency by blood analysis. ⋯ Clinical diagnosis in recreational drug-related attendances to the ED was correct in most cases. Drugs, such as GHB, were the most accurately diagnosed. Inaccuracy in recognizing other drugs, like amphetamines, opiates and alcohol, occurs where a coingestant produces a more profound clinical picture. Multiple drug ingestion is a common scenario in recreational drug presentations to emergency.