Articles: emergency-services.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Self-reported knowledge and attitudes surrounding care of LGBTQIA+ patients in the emergency department.
The ED is a common pathway for receiving care for all consumers. Little is known about staff perspectives about care of consumers who identify as LGBTQIA+ in an Australian setting. We sort to explore staff knowledge, attitude and behaviours around care of LGBTQIA+ consumers to identify potential barriers to care. ⋯ This study found that despite little or no formal training in provision of care for LGBTQIA+ consumers, respondents saw LGBTQIA+ consumers as a relatively small group within the wider ED consumer population and did not see the treatment of LGBTQIA+ consumers as more challenging with respect to interaction, assessment and provision of care.
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Emerg Med Australas · Feb 2025
Criteria for early discharge of drowning patients from the emergency department.
Clinical factors previously shown to independently predict safe discharge were applied at ED presentation to determine whether we could identify a group of drowning patients who do not require treatment and are thus safe for rapid discharge. ⋯ Drowning patients who meet rapid discharge criteria at ED presentation will not require treatment for their drowning and may be considered for discharge from the ED without further investigation or mandatory period of observation.
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To identify clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of frequent use of emergency departments by persons of advanced age. ⋯ Frail elderly patients with more comorbid conditions are at higher risk for frequent use of emergency departments. These patients should be identified early so that management of their conditions can be adjusted.
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Observational Study
Door-in-Door-Out Times at Referring Hospitals and Outcomes of Hemorrhagic Stroke.
Interhospital transfer is often required in the care of patients with hemorrhagic stroke. Guidelines recommend a door-in-door-out (DIDO) time of ≤120 minutes at the transferring emergency department (ED); however, it is unknown whether DIDO times are related to clinical outcomes of hemorrhagic stroke. ⋯ These findings suggest that EDs currently expedite the transfer of the sickest patients; however, prospective studies and more granular data are needed to understand the impact of early treatment and timing of transfer for patients with hemorrhagic stroke.
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While use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has become widespread in emergency medicine, its adoption and usage among emergency clinicians is variable. In this study, we explored the barriers and facilitators to POCUS use among emergency medicine clinicians in a tertiary care emergency department in the United States by clinical role and perceived usability of POCUS. ⋯ Participants reported that POCUS facilitates patient disposition and clinical supervision enhances its use. Early POCUS education in professional school and continued POCUS training in clinical practice could facilitate POCUS use clinically. Structured POCUS courses and continued medical education programs may provide protected time to learn and practice POCUS. Moreover, accessible and standardized machines in the clinical environment could improve POCUS usage.