Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2024
Changing culture: An intervention to improve blood culture quality in the emergency department.
Blood cultures (BCs) remain a key investigation in ED patients at risk of bacteraemia. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a multi-modal, nursing-led intervention to improve the quality of BCs in the ED, in terms of single culture, underfilling and contamination rates. ⋯ Significant improvements in BC quality are possible with nursing-based interventions in the ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2024
End-of-life care: A retrospective cohort study of older people who died within 48 hours of presentation to the emergency department.
To describe the characteristics of, and care provided to, older people who died within 48 h of ED presentation. ⋯ Identification of patients at end-of-life (EoL) is not always straightforward; consider recent reduction in independence and recent ED visits/hospital admissions. System-based strategies that span pre-hospital, ED and in-patient care are recommended to facilitate EoL pathway implementation and care continuity.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2024
Determinants of fatigue in emergency department clinicians who wear personal protective equipment.
To determine the independent predictors for clinician fatigue and decline in cognitive function following a shift in the ED during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ Working afternoon shifts was associated with fatigue. There was no association between HRZ allocation and fatigue, but our study was limited by a low COVID workload and fluctuating PPE requirements in the non-HRZs. Workplace interventions that target the prevention of fatigue in ED clinicians working afternoon shifts should be prioritised.