Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Presence of alcohol and other drug use within youth mental health presentations to the emergency department: A single-site retrospective observational study.
Youth mental health is a growing issue, which can be worsened by alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. The present study aimed to characterise the association of AOD use in youth presenting to an ED with a mental health crisis. ⋯ In New Zealand, it is not legal to sell alcohol to persons under 18 years; however, this was the most commonly identified drug impacting on youth mental health presentations. There is a known association between alcohol use and adverse mental health symptoms; therefore, efforts to decrease access to alcohol in this age group must continue, and harm reduction interventions to reduce clinically significant overdoses recommended.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Derivation of a clinical decision rule to exclude cerebral venous sinus thrombosis in emergency department patients: A retrospective cohort study.
To derive a clinical decision rule to exclude cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) in the ED. A secondary aim was to derive a rule that incorporated clinical parameters and the non-contrast CT brain. ⋯ A clinical decision rule was derived to rule out CVST. These results require validation before adoption into clinical practice.
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To assess Australian and New Zealand emergency clinicians' attitudes towards the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in emergency medicine. ⋯ Emergency clinicians interviewed were generally optimistic about the use of AI in emergency medicine, so long as it is used as a decision support tool and they maintain the ability to override its recommendations.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Review Meta AnalysisReview article: Efficacy of prophylactic ondansetron versus placebo or control in reducing vomiting in children undergoing ketamine procedural sedation in the emergency department: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Ketamine is commonly used for procedural sedation anaesthesia in paediatric patients undergoing painful procedures in the ED. Ketamine's safety profile is excellent, but ketamine-associated vomiting (KAV) is common. Routine ondansetron prophylaxis could reduce KAV incidence. ⋯ The quality of evidence was deemed to be low overall because of high risk of bias and imprecision in outcome measures. This review found low to moderate certainty evidence that prophylactic ondansetron reduces KAV incidence. Methodologically rigorous research, with appropriately timed prophylactic ondansetron based on the route of administration, would further elucidate prophylactic oral ondansetron's efficacy.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Musculoskeletal chest pain prevalence in emergency department presentations: A retrospective case notes review.
Musculoskeletal (MSK) causes of chest pain are considered common in emergency care, yet management is limited, reported outcomes are poor and prevalence data in New Zealand are lacking. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of MSK chest pain in New Zealand EDs and describe the characteristics of MSK chest pain cases. ⋯ These data provide a conservative estimate of MSK chest pain prevalence in EDs within the South Island of New Zealand. The findings highlight MSK chest pain as common in emergency care, providing a basis and justification for further research to improve management and outcomes for people with MSK chest pain.