Articles: emergency-services.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2024
Computer Simulation to Assess Emergency Department Length of Stay in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury.
Our study aimed to identify how emergency department (ED) arrival rate, process of care, and physical layout can impact ED length of stay (LOS) in pediatric traumatic brain injury care. ⋯ Exceeding certain threshold ED arrival rates of children with traumatic brain injury can substantially increase pediatric trauma center ED LOS but modifications to ED processes and bed location may mitigate this increase.
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Editorial Comment Randomized Controlled Trial
Emergency department resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta in trauma patients with exsanguinating hemorrhage: the UK-REBOA randomized clinical trial.
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In Alberta, Health Link (HL) provides a 24-h, nurse-staffed, phone resource to the public for health-care advice. HL directs callers to either seek care in the emergency department (ED), with a primary care provider or provide self-care at home. This work aims to describe HL ED referrals prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. ⋯ HL referrals to the ED represent only a small percentage of all ED visits. Based on our definition, most referrals by HL are likely appropriate. The COVID-19 pandemic does not appear to have altered the rates of calls to HL, the number of HL calls referred to the ED, nor the likely appropriateness of those referrals.
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Pediatric emergency care · Jun 2024
Thrombocytopenia and Adverse Bleeding Events in Neonatal Lumbar Punctures in the Emergency Department.
Lumbar punctures are performed as part of a routine evaluation of neonates with fever in the emergency department. Current recommendations regarding performing a lumbar puncture in the presence of thrombocytopenia exist for children with leukemia and other cancers; however, there are no such recommendations for the general neonatal population. This study assesses the frequency of thrombocytopenia and adverse bleeding events in neonates who undergo a lumbar puncture to determine whether a complete blood count, and specifically the platelet count, should be reviewed before performing the lumbar puncture. ⋯ Our results demonstrated a very low risk of bleeding events associated with lumbar punctures in neonates, with no increased risk in the thrombocytopenic group. As such, we conclude that waiting for the results of a complete blood count before performing the lumbar puncture in neonates without a known bleeding disorder is unnecessary.