Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
-
In The Netherlands there is no consensus about criteria for cancelling helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) dispatches. This study assessed the ability of the primary HEMS dispatch criteria to identify major trauma patients. The predictive power of other early prehospital parameters was evaluated to design a safe triage model for HEMS dispatch cancellations. ⋯ The accuracy of the current HEMS dispatch criteria is relatively low, resulting in high cancellation rates and low predictability for major trauma. The new HEMS cancellation triage model identified all major trauma patients with an acceptable overtriage and will probably reduce unjustified HEMS dispatches.
-
Emergency departments deal with large patient loads on a day-to-day basis. The importance of patient self-assessment in the triage process has not been fully considered when determining the need for hospital admission. ⋯ The patient self-triage questions concerning condition with five categories (medication only to life threatening) seem to supplement the triage process for hospital admission in emergency departments.
-
Is the Clinical Safety Chart clinical improvement programme (CIP) effective at improving paramedic key performance indicator (KPI) results within the Ambulance Service of New South Wales? ⋯ The strategies used within this CIP are recommended for further consideration.
-
To estimate recent trends in CT/MRI utilisation among patients seeking emergency care for atraumatic headache in the USA and to identify factors associated with a diagnosis of significant intracranial pathology (ICP) in these patients. ⋯ The use of CT/MRI for evaluation of atraumatic headache increased dramatically in EDs in the USA between 1998 and 2008. The prevalence of ICP among patients who received CT/MRI declined concurrently, suggesting a role for clinical decision support to guide more judicious use of imaging.
-
Research indicates emergency department doctors experience high levels of stress. Poor psychological health affects staff well-being and patient care, with considerable organisational and financial cost. This study compares levels of psychological health in medical, nursing and administrative staff from a UK emergency department with an orthopaedic comparison department. The study investigates the influence of coping strategies and the support people receive from their colleagues (ie, social support). ⋯ Priority should be given to developing and evaluating interventions to improve psychological health for this group. Findings suggest that coping strategies and social support are important factors to incorporate into such interventions.