Quantification of injury burden using multiple data sources: a longitudinal study.

Quantification of injury burden is vital for injury prevention, as it provides a guide for setting policies and priorities. This study generated a set of Hong Kong specific disability weights (DWs) derived from patient experiences and hospital records. Patients were recruited from the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of three major trauma centers in Hong Kong between September 2014 and December 2015 and subsequently interviewed with a focus on health-related quality of life at most three times over a 12-month period.

Impact of mild traumatic brain injury on physical, mental and cognitive functioning of abused women admitted to emergency units.

Limited studies exist on women's mild traumatic brain injury received from episode of intimate partner violence. This study aims to identify the occurrence of intimate partner violence-related mild traumatic brain injury in Chinese women admitted to emergency units; and examine the physical, mental, and cognitive functioning of abused women with mild traumatic brain injury related to violent episodes. Eighty-six Chinese abused women presenting at emergency units in four major local hospitals in Hong Kong between January 2014 and December 2016 were recruited.

Clinical Features of Heterosexual Intimate Partner Violence Victims With Escalating Injury Severity.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is largely recognized to have a cyclical pattern and violence escalation in terms of frequency and intensity over time. However, there is a lack of systematic investigation of the profiles of victims and quantification of the patterns of injury of the victims associated with the first time versus repeated violence episodes. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by medical chart review of 878 victims in a 5-year period from 2010 to 2014 in Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of two public general hospitals in Hong Kong.

Three-in-one protocol reduces mortality of patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures-a five year multi-centred review in Hong Kong.

Purpose: The mortality rate in patients with haemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures is as high as 40-60%. Despite the new advances in trauma care which are in phase in trauma centres in Hong Kong, the management of haemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture is still heterogeneous. The aim of this study is to review the results of management of haemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients in Hong Kong over a five year period.

Predictive model integrating dynamic parameters for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients: The Dynamic MBT score.

Background: Currently existing predictive models for massive blood transfusion in major trauma patients had limitations for sequential evaluation of patients and lack of dynamic parameters.

Objective: To establish a predictive model for predicting the need of massive blood transfusion major trauma patients, integrating dynamic parameters.

Design: Multi-center retrospective cohort study.

Intravenous fluid selection rationales in acute clinical management.

Background: Intravenous fluid (IVF) is commonly used in acute clinical management. This study aimed to review the choice and primary considerations in IVF prescriptions and to evaluate the adequacy of guidelines and trainings on it in the New Territories West Cluster (NTWC) of Hong Kong.

Methods: This is a descriptive study based on data collected from an online survey.

Intimate partner violence victims' acceptance and refusal of on-site counseling in emergency departments: Predictors of help-seeking behavior explored through a 5-year medical chart review.

Healthcare services constitute the first formal support that many intimate partner violence (IPV) victims receive and a link to formal welfare and psychological support. The help-seeking behavior for psychosocial support, e.g.

Idarucizumab for Dabigatran Reversal - Full Cohort Analysis.

Background: Idarucizumab, a monoclonal antibody fragment, was developed to reverse the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran.

Methods: We performed a multicenter, prospective, open-label study to determine whether 5 g of intravenous idarucizumab would be able to reverse the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran in patients who had uncontrolled bleeding (group A) or were about to undergo an urgent procedure (group B). The primary end point was the maximum percentage reversal of the anticoagulant effect of dabigatran within 4 hours after the administration of idarucizumab, on the basis of the diluted thrombin time or ecarin clotting time.

Healthcare resource utilization in patients receiving idarucizumab for reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation due to major bleeding, urgent surgery, or procedural interventions: interim results from the RE-VERSE AD™ study.

Aims: Patients treated with anticoagulants may experience serious bleeding or require urgent surgery or intervention, and may benefit from rapid anticoagulant reversal. This exploratory analysis assessed healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in patients treated with idarucizumab, a specific reversal agent for dabigatran etexilate.

Materials And Methods: RE-VERSE AD™ (NCT02104947), a prospective, multi-center open-label study, is evaluating idarucizumab for dabigatran reversal in patients with serious bleeding (Group A) or undergoing emergency surgery/procedures (Group B).

A comparison of intimate partner violence and associated physical injuries between cohabitating and married women: a 5-year medical chart review.

Background: Cohabitation, referring to a co-residential romantic relationship between two intimate partners without a marriage license, has become widely accepted in contemporary societies. It has been found that cohabitating women have a higher risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) than married women. However, as yet, no studies have investigated the level and pattern of IPV-associated physical injuries and its mental health impact on cohabitating women.

Characterization of available automated external defibrillators in the market based on the product manuals in 2014.

Background: To popularize the wide-spread use of automated external defibrillator (AED) to save life in sudden cardiac arrest, we compared the strength and weakness of different types of AEDs to enable a sound selection based on regional requirement.

Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study. Different types of AEDs were compared according to the information of AEDs from manuals and brochures provided by the manufacturers.

Role of copeptin in dual-cardiac marker strategy for patients with chest pain presented to ED.

Objective: The objective of the study is to evaluate the role of copeptin in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and its role in dual-cardiac marker diagnostic strategy with troponin.

Design: A prospective cohort study was carried out from May 2012 to October 2012.

Setting: The study was conducted at the emergency department (ED) of a public hospital in a cluster of Hong Kong.

Idarucizumab for Dabigatran Reversal.

Background: Specific reversal agents for non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants are lacking. Idarucizumab, an antibody fragment, was developed to reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran.

Methods: We undertook this prospective cohort study to determine the safety of 5 g of intravenous idarucizumab and its capacity to reverse the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran in patients who had serious bleeding (group A) or required an urgent procedure (group B).

Design and rationale for RE-VERSE AD: A phase 3 study of idarucizumab, a specific reversal agent for dabigatran.

Idarucizumab, a Fab fragment directed against dabigatran, produced rapid and complete reversal of the anticoagulation effect of dabigatran in animals and in healthy volunteers. The Study of the REVERSal Effects of Idarucizumab in Patients on Active Dabigatran (RE-VERSE AD™) is a global phase 3 prospective cohort study aimed at investigating idarucizumab in dabigatran-treated patients who present with uncontrollable or life-threatening bleeding, and in those requiring urgent surgery or intervention. We describe the rationale for, and design of the trial (clinicaltrials.

Injury Patterns and Help-seeking Behavior in Hong Kong Male Intimate Partner Violence Victims.

Background: Few studies have focused on the characteristics of male victims of intimate partner violence (IPV). Providers of care lack knowledge on the pathognomonic features to identify male IPV victims, who tend to be hidden.

Objectives: This study investigated the injury patterns of male IPV victims and their help-seeking characteristics.

Patterns, aetiology and risk factors of intimate partner violence-related injuries to head, neck and face in Chinese women.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) related injuries have been recognized among health care professionals. However, few studies have provided detailed information on injuries to the head, neck and face regions in Chinese women. As abused Chinese women are generally unwilling to disclose IPV and there are differences in socio-demographic characteristics, societal norms and behaviours, the women may exhibit different patterns, aetiology and risk factors of IPV-related HNF injuries.

Evolving frontiers in severe polytrauma management - refining the essential principles.

This editorial aims to refine the severe polytrauma management principles. While keeping ABCDE priorities, the termination of futile resuscitation and the early use of tourniquet to stop exsanguinating limb bleeding are crucial. Difficult-airway-management (DAM) is by a structured 5-level approach.

A cross-sectional survey of snake oral bacterial flora from Hong Kong, SAR, China.

Objective: To determine the pattern of oral bacterial flora and their sensitivity to antibiotics in freshly captured native snakes in Hong Kong SAR, People's Republic of China.

Methods: Healthy native snakes were captured and kept in a designated centre. Snake species were identified by experienced herpetologists.

Resequencing microarray for detection of human adenoviruses in patients with conjunctivitis.

Background: Although high-density resequencing microarray is useful for detection and tracking the evolution of viruses associated with respiratory tract infections, no report on using this technology for the detection of viruses in patients with conjunctivitis is available.

Objectives: To test if high-density resequencing microarray can be applied to detection of viruses in conjunctival swabs for patients with conjunctivitis.

Study Design: In this prospective proof-of-concept study, every 4 or 5 bacterial culture-negative conjunctival swab samples were pooled and subject to viral detection using TessArray Resequencing Pathogen Microarrays-Flu 3.

Focused abdominal sonography for trauma in the emergency department for blunt abdominal trauma.

Background: Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) is a diagnostic challenge to the emergency physician (EP). The introduction of bedside ultrasound provides another diagnostic tool for the EP to detect intra-abdominal injuries.

Aims: To evaluate the performance of EP in a local emergency department in Hong Kong to perform the 'focused abdominal sonography for trauma' (FAST) in BAT patients.

A preliminary survey of Hong Kong snake shops and the potential snake bite risks for the healthcare system.

Consumption of snakes is a traditional part of Chinese life. Snake shops, which provide both the food products and live snakes to the public, are believed by the medical community to stock only local species. The medical risk posed by these live snakes is therefore regarded as manageable as they are indigenous and thus effective anti-snake venom (ASV) is believed to be available.

Two cases of methemoglobinemia following zopiclone ingestion.

Introduction: Most cases of methemoglobinemia result from exposure to certain medications and chemicals such as nitrates, nitrites, aniline, dapsone, phenazopyridine, benzocaine, and chlorates which oxidize the iron from the ferrous state. Intoxication with zopiclone is expected to produce drowsiness, confusion and coma but not methemoglobinemia. We report two cases of zopiclone overdose with methemoglobinemia.

Evaluation of the performance of a modified Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system for critically ill patients in emergency departments in Hong Kong.

Introduction: Numerous prognostic predictive models have been developed for critically ill patients, many of which are primarily designed for use in intensive care units. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of a modified Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE II) scoring system in predicting the mortality for critically ill patients managed in emergency department (ED) resuscitation rooms in Hong Kong.

Method: A multi-centre, prospective study was conducted for patients managed in the resuscitation rooms of the EDs of four major hospitals, including one university teaching hospital.