Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can potentially be used in the triage of patients with elbow injuries. However, the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS performed by non-radiologists for the exclusion of elbow fractures is yet unknown. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic potential of POCUS of the posterior fatpad performed by non-radiologists in the workup of adult patients presenting with elbow injuries. ⋯ POCUS of the posterior fatpad is a promising adjunct to physical examination to determine the need for further diagnostic studies in the triage of patients with elbow injuries. Sensitivity after a limited training is high, but not perfect, and can likely further be improved with additional training.
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Extreme weather events due to human activities have significantly increased the frequency and severity of hydrological disasters like floods, impacting human health and healthcare systems worldwide. This study analyses the patterns of emergency service utilisation of the May 2023 flood in Romagna, Italy, and specifically investigates the differences in emergency department (ED) visits and mortality between individuals exposed and not exposed to the flood. ⋯ The May 2023 flood in Romagna revealed enhanced vulnerability of the directly affected population, as shown by higher acuity ED presentations and subsequent hospitalisations, as well as more visits for trauma and mental health.
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Sex-based disparities in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presentations exist and women often have worse outcomes after an ACS event. Calling the emergency medical services (EMS) initiates prehospital diagnosis and treatment and reduces in-hospital time to treatment. This study aims to identify factors affecting the intention to call EMS and EMS usage in Australian women and men. ⋯ Sex differences were identified in the intention and use of EMS during an ACS event based on cultural background, preferred language and residential regionality. These subgroups' characteristics can be targeted with education to improve EMS use.
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Rapid identification of individuals with acute respiratory infections is crucial for preventing nosocomial infections. For rapid diagnosis, especially in EDs, lateral flow devices (LFDs) are a convenient, inexpensive option with a rapid turnaround. Several 'multiplex' LFDs (M-LFDs) now exist, testing for multiple pathogens from a single swab sample. We evaluated the real-world performance of M-LFD versus PCR testing in detecting influenza A, B and SARS-CoV-2) in the ED setting. ⋯ The real-world performance of SureScreen M-LFD was consistent with laboratory evaluation and achieved a high sensitivity for individuals with high viral concentration, most likely to be infectious. Given the representative UK population sample, results could be generalised for use in other settings.
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Growing numbers of avoidable low-acuity visits to emergency departments (ED) are a major health policy concern globally and are thought to contribute to ED crowding. This study explores the differences in the utilisation of low-acuity ED visits between culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) migrants and English-speaking background (ESB) population. ⋯ Foreign-born migrants aged 45 and over from CaLD backgrounds tend to have the lowest rates of low-acuity ED visits, particularly those who migrated more recently indicating low-acuity visits by CaLD patients are unlikely to contribute to ED crowding.