Articles: emergency-department.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2023
Recognising risk, influencing reality and mental healthcare in a regional emergency department.
Mental health presentations to EDs continue to rise with associated challenges increasingly understood and well documented. Despite growing evidence of current and ongoing systemic issues contributing to this increase, there continues to be a lack of administrative engagement to address ED attendance, with avoidance and diversion strategies initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic no longer prioritised, despite growing need. ⋯ This is broadly unacceptable to consumers, their carers and the broader ED network. Delayed action in seeking alternative solutions only reinforces the risk and reality that people experiencing mental health concerns have 'Nowhere Else To Go'.
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To explore the most common clinical presentations of active substance users in our institution's Emergency Department (ED). ⋯ Among Saudi users of illicit substances, the majority were young men with medical illness presentations. The rate of traumatic injuries / vehicular and road traffic accidents is at 15.3%, and cannabis and amphetamine were the most used substances. Screening for active substance use should be conducted using both patient histories and laboratory testing for all high-risk presentations and not solely based on clinical assessment.