Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2016
Emergency weight estimation lookup tables for New Zealand children aged 5-10 years.
To derive novel emergency weight estimation tables for New Zealand children aged 5-10 years using ethnicity and sex to increase accuracy and precision. ⋯ The most accurate method for weight estimation in Auckland children aged 5-10 years is either the novel length-based lookup table or the existing Broselow-Luten tape. When length-based methods are not possible, the age-based lookup tables incorporating age, sex, ethnicity and body habitus are more accurate than existing methods of weight estimation.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2016
Accuracy of working diagnosis by paramedics for patients presenting with dyspnoea.
The present study aims to determine the agreement between paramedic and ED or hospital working diagnosis in dyspnoeic patients. ⋯ There was moderate agreement between paramedic and ED or hospital diagnosis. The number of cases with no clearly documented working diagnosis suggested that a singular working diagnosis may not always serve the complexity of presentation of some dyspnoea patients: more open descriptors such as 'mixed disease' or 'atypical features' should be encouraged.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2016
Heterogeneity in cervical spine assessment in paediatric trauma: A survey of physicians' knowledge and application at a paediatric major trauma centre.
Evidence-based decision-making tools are widely used to guide cervical spine assessment in adult trauma patients. Similar tools validated for use in injured children are lacking. A paediatric-specific approach is appropriate given important differences in cervical spine anatomy, mechanism of spinal injury and concerns over ionising radiation in children. The present study aims to survey physicians' knowledge and application of cervical spine assessment in injured children. ⋯ Physicians actively engaged in paediatric trauma care demonstrate marked heterogeneity in their knowledge and application of cervical spine assessment. This is compounded by a lack of paediatric-specific evidence and definitions, involvement of multiple specialties and staff turnover within busy departments. A validated decision-making tool for cervical spine assessment will represent an important advance in paediatric trauma.