Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Spatiotemporal characteristics of asthma emergency department presentations in diverse geographical and climatic regions, Queensland, Australia.
Sudden acute episodes of asthma exacerbation are often treated by hospital EDs. It is hypothesised that determinants of acute asthma would differ across geographic regions. The objective of the present study was to detail seasonality, trends and spatiotemporal patterns of asthma ED presentations across Queensland (QLD), Australia, a state covering 1.8 million square kilometres, spanning multiple climates. ⋯ Asthma-related ED presentations exhibit spatiotemporal variation across QLD, which appears to be related to climate. Furthermore, aeroallergens and respiratory viruses may be responsible for asthma ED peaks outside the winter period. Socioeconomic status may influence asthma ED presentation rates between regions. This knowledge can guide ongoing management and assist public health policy response.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Months of May: Mental health presentations and the impact of a psychiatric emergency care centre on an inner-city emergency department.
The impact of psychiatric emergency care centres (PECCs) on ED mental health (MH) presentations has not been presented. We aim to compare demographics, diagnosis and admission frequency of patients presenting to an inner-city ED with MH complaints, before and for several years after the opening of a PECC. ⋯ Between 2005 and 2017, MH presentations to ED became significantly more frequent. The opening of PECC reduced length of stay in ED and provided an admission trajectory for patients expressing suicidality, while retaining the pathway to the acute psychiatric ward for those patients presenting with psychosis.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Observational StudyAlcohol and acute traumatic brain injury in the emergency department.
There is limited research from Australasian EDs describing the demographic make-up, injury severity and impact of alcohol in patients requiring computed tomography (CT) for suspected traumatic brain injury (TBI). The present study aims to review the frequency and presenting patterns of patients who consume alcohol prior to presenting with suspected TBI. ⋯ One quarter of patients with suspected TBI had consumed alcohol prior to their injury. Predominantly, those affected were young males who reported higher rates of assault; however, alcohol use was recorded in all age groups and sex. Alcohol-affected patients presented later, potentially delaying time to diagnosis. The present study supports the call for public health interventions that aim to reduce alcohol misuse.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Emergency department crowding and mortality for patients presenting to emergency departments in New Zealand.
The association between ED crowding and mortality has been established internationally, but not in New Zealand. The aim was to determine which measures of crowding were associated with mortality for new patients presenting to New Zealand EDs. The primary outcome was mortality for patients within 7 days of arrival in the ED. ⋯ Access block had the strongest association with 7-day mortality. That ED occupancy and the number of arrivals were not associated with increased mortality suggests that system issues related to long ED stays may be most important in the link between ED crowding and mortality.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2021
Adequacy of cool running water first aid by healthcare professionals in the treatment of paediatric burns: A cross-sectional study of 4537 children.
To determine the adequacy of cool running water first aid provided by healthcare professionals in the early management of children with thermal burn injuries. ⋯ Deficiencies remain in the cooling of paediatric burns patients at all levels of initial management. There is a need in the healthcare community for improved education regarding the parameters and clinical benefits of cool running water first aid.