Can J Emerg Med
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Riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) is a popular recreational activity, with approximately 1.5 million users in Canada. Despite legislation aimed at reducing injury rates, ATV-related incidents remain a major cause of trauma and death. This paper reviews the epidemiology of major injury associated with ATV use in Nova Scotia. ⋯ ATV-related incidents are a continuing source of major injury. This paper describes the epidemiology of ATV-related major trauma presenting to the sole tertiary care referral centre in one province. Information gained from this study should be used to influence ATV public education programs.
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A case of occupational hydrofluoric acid exposure is presented, accentuating the importance of eliciting an occupational history during the initial emergency department evaluation. Patients who present with major hydrofluoric acid burns are at risk for systemic complications, including potentially fatal hypocalcemia. ⋯ These patients should be considered occupational index cases that will require follow up by government occupational health services. Identification of potential hazards, risk assessment and enforcement of recommendations for change (such as engineering controls, personal protective equipment, education) may be key to preventing similar injuries in the future.
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The underuse of analgesics, or "oligoanalgesia," is common in emergency departments (EDs). To improve care we must understand our patients' pain experiences as well as our clinical practice patterns. To this end, we examined pain etiology, pain management practices and patient satisfaction in 2 urban EDs. ⋯ In the 2 EDs studied, we found high levels of pain severity for our patients, as well as low levels of analgesic use. When used, analgesic administration was often delayed. Despite these findings, patient satisfaction remained high. Despite recent efforts to improve pain management practice; oligoanalgesia remains a problem for our specialty.
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Clinical teaching is an integral part of emergency medical practice. With the growing number of medical students and residents in the emergency department there are increasing expectations for clinicians to teach. But there are many challenges and obstacles to overcome when teaching in a busy department. By incorporating diverse strategies and techniques, we can become more effective and efficient emergency medicine teachers.