Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Identification of the severe sepsis patient at triage: a prospective analysis of the Australasian Triage Scale.
This study aims to investigate the accuracy and validity of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) as a tool to identify and manage in a timely manner the deteriorating patient with severe sepsis. ⋯ The ATS and its categories is a sensitive and moderately accurate and valid tool for identifying severe sepsis in a predetermined group, but lacks clinical efficacy and safety without further education or quality improvement strategies targeted to the identification of severe sepsis.
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Lactate level, aetiology and mortality of adult patients in an emergency department: a cohort study.
Increased lactate is associated with high mortality among patients with suspected infection or trauma in the emergency department (ED), but the association with patients with other aetiologies is less well described. The aim of this study was to describe the relation between lactate, aetiology and 7-day mortality in adult ED patients. ⋯ Among adult ED patients, the prognostic value of lactate varies between diagnostic groups.
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'Life like' end-tidal CO2 production has been reported in frozen cadaver during intubation training. We report the same phenomenon in a non-frozen cadaveric model used to undertake CT postmortem, with the additional findings of an increase in CO2 with chest compressions and an increase in CO2 after a pause in ventilation.
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To contrast long-term population-based trends in general practice (GP) presentations and acute inpatient admissions from the emergency department (ED) in the elderly population within the Greater Sydney Area. ⋯ The increase in ED demand appears to be driven by the elderly presenting with acute problems requiring inpatient admission. There has been a modest increase in the rate of GP presentations to ED.
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Observational Study
Arterial lactate levels in an emergency department are associated with mortality: a prospective observational cohort study.
Lactate measurements are routinely carried out in emergency departments and are associated with increased mortality in septic patients. However, no definitive research has been carried out into whether lactate measurements can be used as a prognostic marker in a clinically unwell population in the emergency department. ⋯ A single arterial lactate measurement on presentation to the emergency department predicts 30-day mortality independent of other measures of illness severity.