General
Delivering same-sex accommodation in A&E
In the latest Emergency Care Bulletin, the DoH states that although some mixing is unavoidable in A&E, it is not wholly exempt from providing same-sex accommodation for patients. Please read the DoH’s guidelines on DSSA and the NHS Institute’s practical advice in this area.
Primary Care and Emergency Departments
The Primary Care Foundation has published a report on GPs working with Emergency Departments. It concludes that there is a paucity of evidence on which to base policy and local system design. There may be benefits of systems of joint working between primary and emergency care but at present this cannot be said to evidence based
Evidence-Based Medicine
BestBETS – Best Evidence Topics provide rapid evidence-based answers to real-life clinical questions, using a systematic approach to reviewing the literature. Five new or modified BETS were added last month.
Use of thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke
Rapid Influenza Testing Of Febrile children in the Emergency Department
Adding clopidogrel to standard therapy for acute myocardial infarction
Normal CSF: Does it exclude meningitis?
Cochrane Library
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Highlights this month:
Antibiotic prophylaxis for surgery for proximal femoral and other closed long bone fractures
Glucocorticoids for the treatment of anaphylaxis
Fibrinolytic agents for peripheral arterial occlusion
Emergency sclerotherapy versus vasoactive drugs for bleeding oesophageal varices in cirrhotic patients
Early invasive versus conservative strategies for unstable angina and non-ST elevation myocardial infarction in the stent era
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects. Highlights this month:
Prophylactic antibiotics for burns patients: systematic review and meta-analysis
Short versus long duration of antibiotic therapy for bacterial meningitis: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials in children
Should tourniquets be used in upper limb surgery? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Guidelines
Annual Evidence Updates on Chest Pain from NHS Evidence
Chest pain of recent onset: assessment and diagnosis of recent onset chest pain or discomfort of suspected cardiac origin (NICE)
Unstable angina and NSTEMI: the early management of unstable angina and non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (NICE)
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment (DoH)
The management of diabetic ketoacidosis in adults (NHS Diabetes)
The hospital management of hypoglycaemia in adults with diabetes mellitus (NHS Diabetes)
Highlights from the Literature
Emergency Medicine Journal 27 (3) March 2010
Point of care troponin decreases time in the emergency department for patients with possible acute coronary syndrome: a randomised controlled trial
Elevated serum S100B levels in acute spinal fracture without head injury
To ED or not to ED: NHS 24 referrals to the emergency department
Conferences, Study Days and Courses
HEMS conference 17 April, Kettering
Neurocritical care day – 19 April 2010, Southampton
Inaugural Spring CPD Event, CEM - 20-22 April 2010, King’s Fund, London
EMCRM Emergency Medicine Masterclass - 20 – 22 April 2010, London
Hyperacute Ischaemic Stroke - 23 April 2010, London
Emergency Physicians in Intensive Care - 5 May 2010, London
Acute and General Medicine for the Physician - 26 May 2010, London
Patient Safety in the ED, 10 June 2010, London
Ultrasound in Acute Care 2010 - 14 Jun 2010, Oldham
Cem Conference - Learning From Each Other: Civilian And Military Emergency Care, 13-15 September 2010, Birmingham
UK Training in Emergency Airway Management (TEAM) Course - 13-14 May; 2-3 June; 27-28 September; 13-14 October 2010
Mayday and St Heliers’ University Hospitals: Emergency Ultrasound Courses (Level 1) 2 October 2010, Postgraduate Centre, Mayday Hospital
New Medscape Emergency Medicine CME
SCAN Rule May Reduce Misdiagnosis of ICH in Patients With Minor Stroke
Higher Blood Pressures Early in Hospital Admission for Chest Pain Associated With Better Long-Term Outcomes
This bulletin is brought to you by Library and Knowledge Services. It aims to keep you up-to-date with clinical governance issues. At the beginning of each month, a librarian will update the bulletin with relevant information published in the preceding month. If there are areas you think we also need to cover, please let us know.
This bulletin is brought to you by Library and Knowledge Services. It aims to keep you up-to-date with accident and emergency issues. At the beginning of each month, a librarian will update the bulletin with relevant information published in the preceding month. If there are areas you think we also need to cover, please let us know.
