Articles: patients.
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Scand J Trauma Resus · Dec 2013
Multicenter StudyTriage performance of Swedish physicians using the ATLS algorithm in a simulated mass casualty incident: a prospective cross-sectional survey.
In a mass casualty situation, medical personnel must rapidly assess and prioritize patients for treatment and transport. Triage is an important tool for medical management in disaster situations. Lack of common international and Swedish triage guidelines could lead to confusion. Attending the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) provider course is becoming compulsory in the northern part of Europe. The aim of the ATLS guidelines is provision of effective management of single critically injured patients, not mass casualties incidents. However, the use of the ABCDE algorithms from ATLS, has been proposed to be valuable, even in a disaster environment. The objective for this study was to determine whether the mnemonic ABCDE as instructed in the ATLS provider course, affects the ability of Swedish physician's to correctly triage patients in a simulated mass casualty incident. ⋯ The mnemonic ABCDE doesn't significantly affect the ability of triage among Swedish physicians. Actions to increase Swedish physicians' knowledge of triage, within the ATLS context or separately, are warranted.
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Most studies of the rapid response team (RRT) investigate the effect of introducing an RRT on outcomes of all hospitalised patients. Less information exists on RRT patient epidemiology, or changes in RRT call numbers with time. ⋯ Annual RRT calls are increasing in many Australian hospitals, and now affect more than 14 700 patients annually. Inhospital mortality of RRT patients is about 25%, and about 20% of patients who die in hospital are reviewed by the RRT. Further research is needed to understand the reason for the high inhospital mortality of RRT patients.
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Multicenter Study Observational Study
Oxygen therapy in non-intubated adult intensive care patients: a point prevalence study.
Oxygen is commonly administered to intensive care unit patients. Although there is knowledge of how oxygen is administered to mechanically ventilated patients, there are few data about its use in non-intubated ICU patients. ⋯ Oxygen therapy is commonly administered to non-intubated adult patients in New Zealand and Australian ICUs. Most patients received oxygen by simple nasal cannulae, and oxygen therapy prescriptions were often absent or incomplete. We advise continuing education to ensure that oxygen is prescribed, administered and documented correctly.
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Multicenter Study
Sodium administration in critically ill patients in Australia and New Zealand: a multicentre point prevalence study.
Inadvertent sodium administration in excess of recommended daily requirements has been reported during routine care of critically ill patients. ⋯ This point prevalence study suggests that sodium administration in excess of recommended daily requirements may be common in Australia and New Zealand ICUs. The main sodium source was IV maintenance fluids, followed by fluid boluses and drug boluses.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Pharmacist-led medication education in cancer pain control: a multicentre randomized controlled study in Guangzhou, China.
To evaluate clinical pharmacist-led pain-medication education in patients with cancer. ⋯ Clinical pharmacist-led medication education resulted in improved pain control in patients with cancer.