Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Predicting influenza A and 2009 H1N1 influenza in patients admitted to hospital with acute respiratory illness.
To create a clinical decision tool for suspected influenza A (including 2009 H1N1) to facilitate treatment and isolation decisions for patients admitted to hospital with an acute respiratory illness from the emergency department (ED) during a 2009 H1N1 pandemic. ⋯ A clinical prediction tool was developed that may be able to assist in making appropriate isolation decisions during future 2009 H1N1 outbreaks.
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Comparative Study
The sepsis six and the severe sepsis resuscitation bundle: a prospective observational cohort study.
Severe sepsis is likely to account for around 37,000 deaths annually in the UK. Five years after the international Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) care bundles were published, care standards in the management of patients with severe sepsis are achieved in fewer than one in seven patients. ⋯ This study supports the SSC resuscitation bundle, and is suggestive of an association with reduced mortality although does not demonstrate causation. It demonstrates that simplified pathways, such as the sepsis six, and education programmes such as survive sepsis can contribute to improving the rate of delivery of these life-saving interventions.
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Comparative Study
Liquid ecstasy intoxication: clinical features of 505 consecutive emergency department patients.
To describe the epidemiological profile and clinical manifestations of liquid ecstasy (GHB) poisonings. ⋯ GHB intoxication leading to reduced consciousness is a frequent reason for ED admission, above all in young people and in the early morning at the weekend. Symptoms are more severe in patients who have taken GHB in combination with other substances of abuse.
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Comparative Study
The impact of deprivation on youth violence: a comparison of cities and their feeder towns.
66,000 children and adolescents are treated at emergency departments (EDs) in England and Wales each year for assault injury. The aim of this study was to compare adolescent assault injury rates in cities and towns and determine how assault injury varies with deprivation and gender. ⋯ Injury in youth violence increased with increasing deprivation in cities and their feeder towns. This was true for boys and girls, though rates for boys were consistently higher. This link between assault injury and deprivation was stronger for girls in cities than in feeder towns. Strategies to prevent youth violence need to include improved safeguarding arrangements for girls living in the most deprived city areas.
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At 14:48 on 12 May 2008 an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck the Wenchuan area of Sichuan province, China. A decision to offer/receive UK medical assistance was agreed at a Sino/British political level and a medical team was despatched to the earthquake area. ⋯ To maximise its impact, the team planned from the outset to build a relationship with Chinese colleagues that would lead to a sharing of knowledge and experience that would benefit major incident responses in both countries in the future. This has been established, and the linkage of emergency humanitarian assistance to longer term development should be considered by others the next time international emergency humanitarian assistance is contemplated.