Emergency medicine (Fremantle, W.A.)
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Emerg Med (Fremantle) · Oct 2003
Traction splinting of femoral shaft fractures in a paediatric emergency department: time is of the essence?
To describe the use of traction splinting in children with femoral shaft fracture and to determine if timing of traction splinting application effects outcome. ⋯ The timing of traction splinting is not associated with poor outcome in isolated paediatric femoral shaft fracture provided effective analgesia has been administered in a timely fashion.
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To assess whether prehospital triage guidelines, based on mechanistic criteria alone, accurately identify victims of motor vehicle accidents (MVA) with major injury. ⋯ These data suggest that existing guidelines for the prehospital triage of MVA victims, based on mechanistic criteria alone may need revision.
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To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, treatment and outcomes of patients with elapid snake envenoming in far north Queensland. ⋯ The incidence of snakebite and envenoming in far north Queensland is higher than reported from hospitals in capital cities and is a significant health issue.
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Emerg Med (Fremantle) · Oct 2003
Comparative StudyParacetamol poisoning: which nomogram should we use?
To determine the type of paracetamol nomograms used in Australasian EDs. To review the literature to determine the evidence base for existing nomograms. ⋯ Practice varies in Australasian EDs. Patients with paracetamol levels below the 1300 mumol/L have been reported in the literature to develop hepatotoxicity, and deaths have been documented. N-acetylcysteine is extremely safe when used in the recommended dosages.
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Emerg Med (Fremantle) · Oct 2003
Comparative StudyComparison of a verbal numeric rating scale with the visual analogue scale for the measurement of acute pain.
To test the agreement between the visual analogue scale (VAS) and a verbal numeric rating scale (VNRS) in measuring acute pain, and measure the minimum clinically significant change in VNRS. ⋯ The VNRS performs as well as the VAS in assessing changes in pain. However, although the VAS and VNRS are well correlated, patients systematically score their pain higher on the VNRS, with an unacceptably wide distribution of the differences.