Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Effectiveness of a Disability Liaison Officer service in a metropolitan emergency department.
To identify the influence of a Disability Liaison Officer (DLO) service in the ED setting on people with disability (PWD). For this project, PWD included adults with communication disability, intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder. ⋯ The DLO service was associated with a reduction in ED LOS for PWD. Further assessment of the service using patient- and carer-reported outcome measures and cost-effectiveness studies are indicated.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Introduction of the Broset Violence Checklist in the emergency department: A retrospective cohort study.
The Broset Violence Checklist (BVC) can stratify the risk of violence and aggression in EDs. The aim of the present study was to report the initial uptake of introducing this checklist and associations with unplanned alerts to potential or actual violence in two EDs. ⋯ The BVC was highly specific for violence and aggression but had low sensitivity. Completion of the BVC was associated with more frequent unplanned alerts to potential or actual violence events, suggesting that high-risk patients might be identified intuitively, without formal scoring. Further exploration of the utility of the BVC in the ED is indicated with a focus on strategies to prevent violence and aggression.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
A cluster of multi-drug intoxications involving xylazine, benzimidazole opioids (nitazenes) and novel benzodiazepines in South Australia.
To highlight the detection of xylazine and nitrazolam in conjunction with benzimidazole opioids (nitazenes) and other novel benzodiazepines in a cluster of patients after putative heroin use. ⋯ This is the first signal of xylazine and nitrazolam use in Australia. These results demonstrate toxico-surveillance programmes with analytical confirmation of drugs are invaluable in monitoring illicit drug use.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Gender equity in authorship of emergency medicine publications in Australasia.
To evaluate gender authorship trends in the official journal of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM), Emergency Medicine Australasia (EMA). ⋯ The emergency medicine community in Australasia must continue to tackle existing gender disparities which exist in our specialty. A creative and active strategy on the part of publishers, editors, academics and authors is needed to redress this balance.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Utility of computed tomography brain scans in intubated patients with overdose.
Describe the yield of computed tomography brain (CTB) scans in patients intubated for drug overdose. ⋯ Routine imaging of patients intubated for overdose without clinical indication is unjustified.