Emergency medicine Australasia : EMA
-
Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2007
Accuracy of electrocardiogram interpretation improves with emergency medicine training.
To assess whether electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation accuracy improves with advancing years of emergency medicine training. ⋯ There is an improvement in ECG interpretation accuracy with advancing years of emergency medicine training in Victoria. There exists, however, a low level of accuracy for some critical ECG diagnoses. There is a call by trainees for more formalized and regular ECG education to begin earlier in their training.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2007
Could bystander first-aid prevent trauma deaths at the scene of injury?
To identify potentially preventable prehospital deaths following traumatic cardiac arrest. ⋯ Five (4.5%) potentially preventable prehospital trauma deaths were identified. Three deaths potentially involved airway obstruction and two involved excessive bleeding. There is a case for increased awareness of the need for bystander first-aid at scene following major trauma.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2007
ReviewEmergency department personal protective equipment requirements following out-of-hospital chemical biological or radiological events in Australasia.
Recent events have led to a revision in ED equipment, preparedness and training for disasters. However, clinicians must still decide when, and what level of personal protection is required when a toxic threat exists. ⋯ Following an off-site Australasian chemical biological or radiological incident, current evidence indicates that the initial receiving ED staff will be adequately protected from all known chemical biological and radiological inhalational threats by wearing a properly fitted P2 (N95) mask, or its equivalent. Protection from serious contact injury is offered by wearing double gloves, disposable fluid-repellent coveralls or gown, eye protection, surgical mask, and ideally, a cap and shoe covers; in conjunction with universal precautions and procedures.
-
Emerg Med Australas · Apr 2007
Comparative StudyEffect of a holiday service reduction period on a hospital's emergency department access block.
To study the effect of holiday service reductions, consisting of bed and theatre closures, in a tertiary paediatric hospital on various measures of ED occupancy, including access block. ⋯ At this hospital, unacceptably high levels of ED access block persist both during and outside holiday periods, despite there being mild improvement in access block during the holiday period where bed closures were balanced against the effect of other service cutbacks (e.g. closing operating theatres).
-
Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2007
Comparative StudyEvidence-based implementation of adult asthma guidelines in the emergency department: a controlled trial.
To determine if an evidence-based implementation (EBI) strategy could lead to the successful implementation of guidelines for the management of adult asthma in a large rural ED. ⋯ An EBI significantly improved compliance at the study hospital with no improvement noted in the control hospital. These improvements were maintained at 12 month follow up. An EBI can lead to significant improvements in the management of asthma at a large rural referral hospital ED and might have implications for hospitals with similar roles and profiles.