BMJ open
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Mechanical ventilation is a cornerstone in the management of critically ill patients worldwide; however, less is known about the clinical management of mechanically ventilated patients in low and middle income countries where limitation of resources including equipment, staff and access to medical information may play an important role in defining patient-centred outcomes. We present the design of a prospective, longitudinal study of mechanically ventilated patients in Peru that aims to describe a large cohort of mechanically ventilated patients and identify practices that, if modified, could result in improved patient-centred outcomes and lower costs. ⋯ We obtained ethics approval from each of the four participating hospitals in Lima, Peru, and at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA. Results will be disseminated as several separate publications in different international journals.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Effectiveness of an emergency nurse practitioner service for adults presenting to rural hospitals with chest pain: protocol for a multicentre, longitudinal nested cohort study.
Chest pain is common in emergency department (ED) patients and represents a considerable burden for rural health services. Health services reforms to improve access to care need appropriately skilled and supported clinicians in the delivery of safe and effective care, including the use of emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs). Despite increasing use of ENPs, little is known about the safety and quality of the service in the rural ED context. The aims of this study are (1) to examine the safety and quality of the ENP service model in the provision of care in the rural environment and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of the service in the management of patients presenting with undifferentiated chest pain. ⋯ Queensland Health Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) has approved this protocol. The results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at one or more scientific conferences.
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Multicenter Study
The design of a multicentre Canadian surveillance study of sedation safety in the paediatric emergency department.
Procedural sedation and analgesia have become standard practice in paediatric emergency departments worldwide. Although generally regarded as safe, serious adverse events such as bradycardia, asystole, pulmonary aspiration, permanent neurological injury and death have been reported, but their incidence is unknown due to the infrequency of their occurrence and lack of surveillance of sedation safety. To improve our understanding of the safety, comparative effectiveness and variation in care in paediatric procedural sedation, we are establishing a multicentre patient registry with the goal of conducting regular and ongoing surveillance for adverse events in procedural sedation. ⋯ Ethics approval has been obtained from participating sites. Results will be disseminated using a multifaceted knowledge translation strategy by presenting at international conferences, publication in peer-reviewed journals, and through established networks.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Determining Surgical Complications in the Overweight (DISCOVER): a multicentre observational cohort study to evaluate the role of obesity as a risk factor for postoperative complications in general surgery.
Obesity is increasingly prevalent among patients undergoing surgery. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the impact of obesity on postoperative complications. This multicentre study aims to determine whether obesity is associated with increased postoperative complications following general surgery. ⋯ Following appropriate assessment, an exemption from full ethics committee review has been received, and the study will be registered as a clinical audit or service evaluation at each participating hospital. Dissemination will take place through national and local research collaborative networks.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Multicentre observational study of adults with asthma exacerbations: who are the frequent users of the emergency department in Japan?
Emergency department (ED) visits for asthma exacerbation reflect a failure of longitudinal asthma management. However, little is known about the characteristics of patients with frequent ED visits (≥2 visits in a 1-year period). We aimed to characterise the adult patients who frequently presented to the ED for asthma exacerbation in Japan. ⋯ This multicentre study in Japan demonstrated that many patients are frequent ED users for asthma exacerbation. We also found that their asthma control management is suboptimal, most likely contributing to worse chronic severity and more frequent ED visits. Further dissemination and adoption of evidence-based guidelines are required to reduce asthma morbidity in this high-risk population.