Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2021
Meta AnalysisSystematic review and meta-analysis of oral paracetamol versus combination oral analgesics for acute musculoskeletal injuries.
The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine if a combination of analgesics conveys any significant clinical benefit over paracetamol alone in managing acute musculoskeletal injuries. ⋯ Paracetamol monotherapy is a reasonable first-line analgesic for acute musculoskeletal injuries as combining additional oral agents does not result in any significant additional analgesic effect.
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A retrospective analysis of enquiries made to the New Zealand National Poisons Centre (NZNPC) in 2018; which includes direct contacts through telephone of caller, patient and exposure substance characteristics, and indirect contacts through the internet of page hits by New Zealand (NZ) healthcare professionals on the TOXINZ poisons information database. ⋯ In 2018, the NZNPC provided assessment and/or advice in 64 358 enquiries, comprising 25 330 direct contacts and 39 028 indirect contacts. The NZNPC provides specialised services regularly used by both members of the public and healthcare professionals that contributes to the clinical management of poisoned and potentially poisoned patients in NZ.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2021
ReviewReview article: Implicit bias towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients within Australian emergency departments.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to suffer adverse experiences in healthcare, with inequitable care prevalent in emergency settings. Individual, institutional and systemic factors play a significant part in these persisting healthcare disparities, with biases remaining entrenched in healthcare institutions. ⋯ Furthermore, it may contribute to distrust of medical professionals resulting in higher rates of leave events and hinder racial minorities from seeking care or following treatment recommendations. The aim of this review is to analyse the effect of implicit bias on patient outcomes in the ED in international literature and explore how these studies correlate to an Australian context.
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Aeromedical services are an essential part of the healthcare system. Centralised coordination of aeromedical retrieval tasking offers benefits for safety, timeliness and efficiency in service delivery. The aim of the present study is to review aeromedical retrievals in Queensland exploring patient demographics, temporal patterns and usage characteristics. ⋯ Potential investments in health service planning may alleviate the burden on aeromedical services, particularly related to cardiology services in inner and outer regional Queensland. Aeromedical services are pivotal in enabling all sick and injured residents' access to the highest quality of care regardless of the remoteness of their residence.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2021
Association of blood pressure changes with survival after paramedic rapid sequence intubation in out-of-hospital patients with stroke.
Rapid sequence intubation (RSI) is used to secure the airway of some patients with stroke. Recent observational studies suggest that RSI is associated with poorer survival, and that decreases in systolic blood pressure (BP) following RSI could be a cause of worse survival. The present study aims to find if decreased systolic BP after paramedic RSI is associated with poorer survival in stroke patients transported by ambulance. ⋯ Paramedic RSI-related decrease in systolic BP is associated with improved survival in those with intra-cerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage but not ischaemic stroke.