Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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To evaluate the burden of disease, investigate the treatment and response to treatment caused by exposure to stinging tree plants presenting to Cairns Hospital over a 3-year period. Our secondary aim was to examine the benefit from treating such exposures with topical dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl). ⋯ Stinging tree exposure results in significant presentations to the Cairns ED each year. Pain is immediate and severe and there are no clear first aid or definitive treatment recommendations. Further work is needed to ascertain the best first aid and definitive treatment including a formal trial of dilute HCl.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Early prediction of hospital admission of emergency department patients.
The early prediction of hospital admission is important to ED patient management. Using available electronic data, we aimed to develop a predictive model for hospital admission. ⋯ We combined available electronic data and ML technology to achieve excellent predictive performance for subsequent hospital admission. Such prediction may assist with patient flow.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Spread of stinging ants to oceanic islands, and the need to raise awareness of prevention and treatment of ant stings.
Venomous invasive ants are rapidly dispersing throughout oceanic islands. Medics unfamiliar with envenomation or venom-induced anaphylaxis may be unprepared for the range of possible reactions and corresponding treatments. We detail the suboptimal treatment of a patient suffering anaphylaxis from an ant sting on a remote island and describe what treatment should have been provided. ⋯ A rise in invasive hymenopteran stings on oceanic islands is inevitable, and proactively improving public awareness and medical training could save lives.
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Emerg Med Australas · Aug 2023
Intubation for patients with overdose: Time to move on from the Glasgow Coma Scale.
Patients frequently present to the ED with drug overdose and reduced conscious level leading to coma. There is considerable practice variation around which patients require intubation. Indications include: (i) respiratory failure (including airway obstruction); (ii) to facilitate specific therapies or intubation as a therapy in itself; and (iii) for airway protection in the unprotected airway. ⋯ We recommend that patients undergo an individualised risk assessment of the need for intubation. We propose a flow diagram to aid clinicians in safely observing comatose overdose patients. This can be applied if the drug is unknown, or there are multiple drugs involved.