Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
-
Multicenter Study
Predictors of ambulance use in patients with acute myocardial infarction in Australia.
To determine ambulance transport rates and investigate predictors for ambulance use by patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Australia. ⋯ A substantial number of patients do not call for an ambulance as their first medical contact after the onset of AMI symptoms. Public education on the benefits of ambulance transport and early treatment, as well as recognition of AMI symptoms, is required.
-
To assess the validity of the Manchester Triage System (MTS) in paediatric emergency care, using information on vital signs, resource utilisation and hospitalisation. ⋯ The MTS has moderate sensitivity and specificity in paediatric emergency care. Specific modifications of the MTS should be considered in paediatric emergency care to reduce overtriage, while maintaining sensitivity in the highest urgency categories.
-
Introducing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the high-school curriculum has been widely recommended as a long-term strategy to educate the wider community. Although CPR has been included in the New Zealand school curriculum, it is listed as an optional subject only. ⋯ These findings suggest that although most high-school students are willing and motivated to learn CPR, a smaller percentage of students had a negative attitude towards CPR that would act as a barrier to future learning or performance of resuscitation. Introducing CPR training to high schools is still recommended; however, this study shows the need to associate this training with positive references in an attempt to assist those for whom negative attitude may present as a barrier to learning and retaining CPR knowledge.
-
Multicenter Study
Use of non-invasive ventilation in UK emergency departments.
-
A short-cut review was conducted to establish whether any of the available drugs used for procedural sedation in patients with tachydysrhythmias are safer or more effective than the alternatives. In all, 135 papers were found using the reported searches, of which 7 presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these best papers are tabulated. It is concluded that propofol, methohexital, thiopentone and etomidate all seem to be good choices.