Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2019
Beta-blocker use is an independent risk factor for thunderstorm asthma.
To identify risk factors for thunderstorm asthma (TA) in subjects ≥15 years of age from information available in routine clinical records. ⋯ Oral beta-blocker medications, younger age and Asian-born heritage are risk factors for TA. Further study is required to explore the potential association between beta-blockers and TA.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2019
Characteristics of short-term re-presentations to a regional emergency department.
The present study aims to describe the characteristics of early ED re-presentations in a regional hospital in New South Wales, Australia. ⋯ Re-presentations were common, but did not lead to increased admissions. The regional hospital in the present study had a higher 72 h ED re-presentation rate than the comparative major city hospital. In particular, paediatric and psychiatric re-presentations were a greater burden to the regional ED. This may be secondary to a lack of alternative services, particularly for these patient groups. Improving these outpatient services may help to reduce the burden of 72 h ED re-presentations.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2019
Picking the low-hanging fruit: Why not choose oral antibiotics for skin and soft-tissue infections in the emergency department.
Skin and soft-tissue infections are a common presentation to EDs in Australasia. In the absence of sepsis or decreased oral absorption, substantial supportive data exists that shows oral antibiotics are non-inferior to intravenous antibiotics for uncomplicated skin and soft-tissue infections. ⋯ This perspective reviews the relevant literature, discusses barriers to the implementation of this more parsimonious approach and also proposes several potential solutions. It is important that ED clinicians are encouraged to use oral antibiotics for uncomplicated infections, as this would lead to similar clinical outcomes but with fewer resources for staff and patient, as well as increased patient satisfaction.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2019
Influence of cognitive impairment on pain assessment and management in the emergency department: A retrospective cross-sectional study.
To quantify the impact of cognitive impairment on pain assessment and management practices in the ED. ⋯ Pain is inadequately and inappropriately assessed for elderly patients with a cognitive impairment in the ED, resulting in delays in initiation of pain management.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2019
Prehospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A retrospective eligibility study.
We sought to identify out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OOHCA) patients who might benefit from a future prehospital extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) programme in a moderately sized city. We described the 2014 OOHCA data and identified those who fulfilled hypothetical prehospital ECPR eligibility criteria. ⋯ Sixty-three (30.6%) patients could have derived benefit from a prehospital ECPR programme. Further analyses of prehospital ECPR logistics and economics are necessary to ensure that any future prehospital ECPR programme is effective and efficient.