Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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A short cut review was carried out to establish whether fucidic acid was as good as chloramphenicol in curing neonatal sticky eyes. 53 papers were found using the reported searches, of which one 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 this best paper are tabulated. It is concluded that fucidic acid drops have an equivalent cure rate to chloramphenicol drops in neonates with sticky eyes.
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Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly being implemented by many ambulance jurisdictions as a standard of care in the out-of-hospital management of acute cardiogenic pulmonary oedema (ACPO). This implementation appears to be based on the body of evidence from the emergency department (ED) setting, with the assumption that earlier administration by paramedics would give benefits with regard to inhospital mortality and the rate of endotracheal intubation beyond those seen when initiated in the ED. This paper sought to identify and review the current level of evidence supporting NIV in the prehospital setting. ⋯ Early prehospital NIV appears to be a safe and feasible therapy that results in faster improvement in physiological status and may decrease the need for intubation when compared with delayed administration in the ED. There is weak evidence that is may decrease mortality. The cost versus benefit equation of system-wide prehospital implementation of NIV is unclear and, based on the current evidence, should be considered with caution.
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To identify emergency department (ED) predictors of patients' perception of privacy and whether patients' perception of privacy was significantly associated with patient satisfaction, in an urban, university-based hospital ED. ⋯ These data identify specific factors that are determinants of patients' perception of privacy. It was found that patients' perception of privacy strongly predicts satisfaction. ED improvement efforts should focus on improving ED environmental design and continuing education of healthcare providers to protect patient privacy during their stay in the ED.
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Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a major public health problem that is related to substantial morbidity, impaired quality of life and diminished survival. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of platelet activation. ⋯ MPV is increased in patients with DHF. Also, MPV on admission is an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality and 6-month mortality.
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The Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) provides an aeromedical retrieval service to remote and rural communities. Most of these facilities are unable to deliver Critical Care Interventions (CCI). CCI are delivered by the EMRS team prior to transfer of the patient to definitive care. This study addresses correlation between total on-scene times (TOST) and level of intervention delivered, and whether there is any variation in TOST between medical and trauma emergencies. ⋯ This study demonstrates a significant relationship between TOST on-scene by the retrieval team and the level of intervention delivered to patients. The present data do not support the assertion that there is a difference in TOST for medical and trauma patients.