Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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There appears to be a paucity of studies examining the characteristics and impact of frequent users upon emergency medical services (EMS). ⋯ It is unknown to what extent frequent callers impact upon EMS resources. Research should identify predictors and characteristics of frequent users of EMS, and a consistent definition of a frequent caller to or user of EMS would provide greater comparability. The lack of studies identified in this review suggests that further research is needed in order to inform policy and practice.
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Observational Study
The relationship between hyperlactatemia and microcirculation in the thenar eminence as measured using near-infrared spectroscopy in patients with sepsis.
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived variables during a vascular occlusion test (VOT) have recently been used to evaluate peripheral circulatory insufficiency in patients with sepsis. We investigated the relationship between NIRS-derived variables and the lactate concentration during sepsis. ⋯ We revealed a significant correlation between NIRS-derived variables and the lactate concentration during sepsis.
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This study illustrates the potential of using emergency department attendance data, routinely accessed as part of a national syndromic surveillance system, to monitor the impact of thunderstorm asthma. ⋯ This preliminary report illustrates the potential of the EDSSS to monitor the impact of thunderstorms on emergency department asthma attendances. Further work will focus on how this system can be used to quantify the impact on emergency departments, thus potentially improving resource planning and also adding to the thunderstorm asthma evidence-base.