Tidsskrift for den Norske lægeforening : tidsskrift for praktisk medicin, ny række
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · Jun 1999
[The first telephone call at emergency admissions--the role of nurses].
The article focuses on whom in the hospital the general practitioners first inform when referring emergency patients. The study is based on interviews with general practitioners and hospital interns, and questionnaires answered by 532 doctors, selected from hospital areas where the primary doctor on call usually is an intern. Three fourths of the respondents state that the general practitioner when referring patients usually gives the clinical information directly by phone to an intern. ⋯ The quality of communication, and the respect developed between general practitioners and interns is perceived as being better when there is a direct communication between the general practitioner and the hospital doctor, bypassing the nurse. The interns respect the admission decisions of the general practitioners to a significantly larger degree, and claim that necessary information about the patient is easier to obtain when they routinely communicate with the general practitioners. In our opinion, the present study gives reason to recommend a direct telephone contact between the referring general practitioner and the hospital intern as part of emergency admissions.
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Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. · May 1999
Comparative Study[Management of minor head injuries in Norwegian hospitals--can the quality be improved?].
Management protocols for minor head injury should include strategies for early detection of intracranial haematomas. This study focuses on the management of minor head injury in 63 Norwegian hospitals. We report considerable inter-hospital variation. ⋯ Emergency room evaluation included routine radiological evaluation, usually skull radiography, in 18 (29%) hospitals, and assessment according to the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) in 27 (43%). GCS was used during in-hospital observation in 32 (51%) hospitals. 33 (52%) discharged selected minor head injury patients without in-hospital observation. We conclude that the quality of care for minor head injury patients in Norwegian hospitals can be improved through extended use of routine early CT and consistent evaluation according to GCS.
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Treatment of coccygodynia is primarily conservative and symptomatic. Operative treatment is controversial and the results are confusing. A thorough examination including X-rays is recommended in order to exclude other diseases. ⋯ Three had suffered aggravation of the symptoms. Patient opinion varied widely; 18 were satisfied with the long-term result, and five regretted the procedure. The importance of preoperative information and patient selection before surgery is emphasized.