Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
What is a compassionate response in the emergency department? Learner evaluation of an End-of-Life Essentials online education module.
To evaluate the End-of-Life Essentials education module 'Emergency Department End-of-Life Care' and explore learners' views on what constitutes a compassionate response in the ED. ⋯ The 'Emergency Department End-of-Life Care' module had a significant positive impact on learners in relation to perceived knowledge, skill, attitude and confidence. This evaluation suggests that the End-of-Life Essentials ED module could be a useful online learning resource for health professionals.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Observational StudyUnintentional paediatric iron poisoning: A retrospective case series.
Iron poisoning is a historically important cause of paediatric morbidity and mortality. In recent decades, public health measures have considerably reduced paediatric iron exposures. We investigated unintentional paediatric iron poisoning in children with the aim of developing an assessment approach specific for this group. ⋯ Unintentional paediatric iron poisoning is uncommon and largely benign. Suspected dose ingested is a poor predictor of toxicity. Targeting investigations and interventions to symptomatic children should reduce unnecessary assessment and management while still safely managing the exposure.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
ReviewReview article: Topical antibiotic treatments for acute otitis externa: Emergency care guidelines from an ear, nose and throat perspective.
Acute otitis externa (AOE), also known as 'swimmer's ear', is a common acute problem. It is one of the most common ED presentations. ⋯ There are a number of red flags associated with AOE which require consideration when treating patients with AOE. We discuss an evidence-based approach to management of AOE in the emergency setting, with indications for specialist referral.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Time to amiodarone administration and survival outcomes in refractory ventricular fibrillation.
International guidelines recommend amiodarone for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in refractory ventricular fibrillation (VF). While early appropriate interventions have been shown to improve OHCA survival, the association between time to amiodarone and survival remains to be established. ⋯ Earlier amiodarone administration was associated with improved survival. Strategies aimed at reducing delay to amiodarone administration have the potential to improve outcome.
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Emerg Med Australas · Dec 2021
Changes in emergency department blood product use for major paediatric trauma following the implementation of a major haemorrhage protocol.
Fixed ratio blood product administration may improve outcomes in trauma patients with massive blood loss. The present study aimed to describe the impact of a major haemorrhage protocol (MHP) on the ratio of blood products administered for paediatric major trauma. ⋯ The implementation of a MHP did not change the ratio of blood product administration in this cohort of patients because of the infrequency of massive blood loss. Future studies may focus on the impact of treating coagulopathy and hypofibrinogenaemia on patient-centred outcomes.