Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2024
Efficacy and safety of ketamine alone and ketamine-dexmedetomidine combination for sedation for brain computed tomography in paediatric patients with head injuries: A retrospective study.
To compare the efficacy and safety of ketamine alone with those of ketamine-dexmedetomidine combination for sedation during brain CT in paediatric patients with head injuries. ⋯ Our findings indicated that a combination of IM ketamine-dexmedetomidine provides effective sedation for paediatric patients undergoing brain CT without significant adverse events. Further research is needed to investigate the potential benefits of using lower doses of ketamine in combination.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2024
Renal disease is not associated with delays in hyperacute stroke management in South Australia.
The aims of the present study were to determine how renal disease is associated with the time to receive hyperacute stroke care. ⋯ The present study shows that in protocolised settings there were no significant delays in hyperacute stroke management for patients with renal disease.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2024
Naloxone use by Aotearoa New Zealand emergency medical services, 2017-2021.
Emergency medical services (EMS) use of naloxone in the prehospital setting is indicated in patients who have significantly impaired breathing or level of consciousness when opioid intoxication is suspected. The present study characterised naloxone use in a nationwide sample of Aotearoa New Zealand road EMS patients to establish a baseline for surveillance of any changes in the future. ⋯ A national rate of EMS naloxone patients was established; measured clinical effects of naloxone were modest, suggesting many patients had reasons other than opioid toxicity contributing to their symptoms. Naloxone administration rates provide indirect surveillance information about suspected harmful opioid exposures but need to be interpreted with care.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2024
Appraisal of Australian and New Zealand paediatric sepsis guidelines.
Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are an important tool for the management of children with sepsis. The quality, consistency and concordance of Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) childhood sepsis CPGs with the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) sepsis clinical care standards and international sepsis guidelines is unclear. ⋯ Childhood sepsis CPGs in current use in ANZ are of variable quality and lack consistency with key treatment recommendations. CPGs are concordant with the ACSQHC care standard, but not with international sepsis guidelines. A bi-national sepsis CPG may reduce unnecessary variation in care.
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Emerg Med Australas · Jun 2024
Infectious and sepsis presentations to, and hospital admissions from emergency departments in Victoria, Australia.
To investigate the frequency and outcomes of adult infectious and sepsis presentations to, and hospital admissions from, Emergency Departments (EDs) in Victoria, Australia. ⋯ Infections and sepsis are common causes of presentation to, and admission from the ED in Victoria. Such patients experience higher mortality than non-infectious patients, even after adjusting for age. There is a need to identify modifiable factors contributing to these outcomes.