Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Comment Observational StudyImpact on the health service in the Top End, Northern Territory following the introduction of an electric scooter sharing service.
To investigate patients presenting to EDs following the recent introduction of a shared electric scooter (e-scooter) scheme in Northern Territory (NT). ⋯ Harm minimisations strategies targeting implementation of alcohol testing and penalties for riders may be able to reduce the effect that the introduction of e-scooters on the strained health system in the NT.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Observational StudyRaising the D-dimer threshold for ruling out pulmonary embolism: A single-site, observational study with a historical comparison.
The objective of this study was to assess the impact of introduction of a new pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnostic guideline with a raised D-dimer threshold. ⋯ The introduction of the new guideline was associated with a reduction in overall imaging rates without evidence of missed PE. Further evaluation in other settings is recommended.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Observational StudyOutcome of reduction of paediatric forearm fracture by emergency department clinicians.
Paediatric forearm fractures are common. Anecdotally, there is a trend towards ED reduction of selected fractures under procedural sedation. We aimed to determine the rate of subsequent operative intervention for fracture re-displacement. ⋯ Reduction of paediatric forearm fractures under procedural sedation by ED clinicians is increasingly common and results in a low rate of subsequent operative intervention.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Observational StudyIncidence of traumatic brain injuries in head-injured children with seizures.
Incidence and short-term outcomes of clinically important traumatic brain injury (ciTBI) in head-injured children presenting to ED with post-traumatic seizure (PTS) is not described in current literature. ⋯ PTS was uncommon in head-injured children presenting to the ED but associated with an increased risk of ciTBI in those with reduced GCS on arrival.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2023
Missed presentations, missed opportunities: A cross-sectional study of mental health presentation undercounting in the emergency department.
The burden of mental illness is increasing across developed countries. EDs are often used as access points by people experiencing mental health crises, with such rising demand in Australasia. Accurate data is critical to track and address this need, but research suggests that current data collection methods undercount mental health presentations to the EDs. The present study aimed to quantify and characterise ED mental health presentations that were not identified by usual clinical coding processes. ⋯ The present study demonstrates that ED mental health presentations may be underestimated by nearly 5%, revealing greater mental health demand than current figures suggest.