Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2021
Observational StudyThe Pediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN): A decade of global research cooperation in paediatric emergency care.
The Pediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN) was launched in 2009 with the intent for existing national and regional research networks in paediatric emergency care to organise globally for the conduct of collaborative research across networks. ⋯ Following its success with developing global research, the PERN goal now is to promote the implementation of scientific advances into everyday clinical practice by: (i) expanding the capacity for global RCTs; (ii) deepening the focus on implementation science; (iii) increasing attention to healthcare disparities; and (iv) expanding PERN's reach into resource-restricted regions. Through these actions, PERN aims to meet the needs of acutely ill and injured children throughout the world.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2021
Establishing the protocols for the South Australian Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) programme for drug surveillance.
ED presentations because of illicit use of psychotropic drugs and pharmaceuticals result in significant medical harm and resource consumption. Patient assessment is complicated by the regular emergence of new psychoactive substances, difficulties associated with their identification and a lack of information about their effects. Here we report the protocol for the Emergency Department Admission Blood Psychoactive Testing (EDABPT) programme, an observational study utilising clinical data capture and definitive drug identification to assess the medical impact and patterns of illicit drug use in the community, and their geographic and temporal fluctuations. The study provides data to an early warning system targeting an improved public health response to emerging drugs of concern. ⋯ The study pairs city-wide patient enrolment with analytically confirmed toxicology results to allow broad sampling and identification of illicit drugs causing medical harm. It provides a mechanism for the identification of new agents as they emerge in the community, delivers a relevant and reliable source of information for public health agencies and clinicians and supplements existing local early warning mechanisms.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2021
Observational StudyRetrospective validation of a risk stratification tool developed for the management of patients with blunt chest trauma (the STUMBL score).
To assess validity of the STUMBL score in New Zealand for complications of blunt chest trauma without multi-trauma and immediate life-threatening injuries. ⋯ The STUMBL score at a cut-off of <12 did not predict all complications sufficiently well to recommend for general use in our population. However, a score >15 predicted prolonged LOS and a score >18 predicted mortality sufficiently to be clinically useful for these outcomes. The score is more accurate in New Zealand Pākehā and needs to be used with caution in Māori and Pasifika populations. A larger prospective validation is required to further assess the score.
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Emerg Med Australas · Oct 2021
Introduction of point-of-care ROTEM testing in the emergency department of an Australian level 1 trauma centre and its effect on blood product use.
To assess whether the introduction of point-of-care rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) analysis influences blood product transfusion and coagulation management in a modern Australian level 1 trauma centre. ⋯ Point-of-care ROTEM was performed in a small proportion of patients, mainly those with a higher ISS. ROTEM introduction in the ED altered blood product transfusion practices for major trauma patients with an ISS >12, leading to a potentially safer transfusion strategy and cost savings for key blood products.