Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Refining ambulance clinical response models: The impact on ambulance response and emergency department presentations.
The ambulance service in Victoria, Australia implemented a revised clinical response model (CRM) in 2016 which was designed to increase the diversion of low-acuity Triple Zero (000) calls to secondary telephone triage and reduce emergency ambulance dispatches. The present study evaluates the influence of the revised CRM on emergency ambulance response times and ED presentations. ⋯ The revised CRM was associated with improved Code 1 response time performance. However, there was no improvement in response times for high acuity patients, and no change in the proportion of callers presenting to ED.
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Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2024
Trends in reported GHB-related presentations to Sydney emergency departments between 2012 and 2021.
In overdose, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its precursors can cause decreased levels of consciousness, coma and death. Here, we aim to describe reported exposure to GHB at four EDs in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. ⋯ Increases in recorded absolute number and severity of GHB-related presentations to Sydney EDs are a major public health concern. There may also be shifts in the demographics of those with GHB-related presentations. Renewed efforts are required to understand the drivers of these increases to optimally target harm reduction approaches.