Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Amethocaine versus EMLA for successful intravenous cannulation in a children's emergency department: a randomised controlled study.
Topical anaesthetics reduce the pain of venous cannulation. The emergency department at the Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland uses EMLA (an eutectic mixture of 25 mg/g lidocaine and 25 mg/g prilocaine) for topical anaesthesia. Amethocaine has recently been shown to be a more effective topical anaesthetic. It is suggested that, because amethocaine does not vasoconstrict veins, it may increase the success of cannulation. ⋯ Amethocaine is not more successful than EMLA for first attempt intravenous cannulation in a children's emergency department.
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A short-cut review was carried out to establish whether the measurement of plasma heart fatty acid binding protein at the time of presentation is of any help in the accurate early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Six papers presented evidence addressing the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of these papers are shown in table 1. The clinical bottom line is that although heart fatty acid binding protein is a promising biomarker it cannot be used alone to rule out the diagnosis of AMI.
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The Australasian Triage Scale is a simple five-point system of triage that forms the basis of triage in most emergency departments in Australia. The Manchester Triage System (MTS) is an algorithmic aid to the process of triage. It utilises a series of flow charts that lead the triage nurse to a logical choice of triage category also using a five-point scale. ⋯ The MTS is a reliable system of triage in the emergency department.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Comparison of powered and conventional air-purifying respirators during simulated resuscitation of casualties contaminated with hazardous substances.
Advanced life support of patients contaminated with chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances requires adequate respiratory protection for medical first responders. Conventional and powered air-purifying respirators may exert a different impact during resuscitation and therefore require evaluation. This will help to improve major incident planning and measures for protecting medical staff. ⋯ Powered air-purifying respirators improve the ease of breathing and do not appear to reduce mobility or delay treatment during a simulated resuscitation scenario inside an ambulance vehicle with a single CBRN casualty.
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A short-cut review was carried out to establish whether honey provides significant symptom relief of cough in children with an upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). Only one paper presented a trial addressing the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of this paper are shown in table 1. The clinical bottom line is that honey does appear to be effective in relieving some of the symptoms of URTI.