Survival Following Extreme Hypernatraemia Associated with Severe Dehydration and Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus.

We report a case of a previously well 58-year-old man, who presented with delirium and low GCS, and was found to have extreme hypernatraemia (Na = 191 mmol/L) and hyperglycaemia (glucose = 31 mmol/L). This resulted in a corrected serum sodium of 202 mmol/L. He was treated with fluid and electrolyte replacement in the intensive care unit, and had returned to essentially normal function by hospital discharge.

Using medico-legal claims for quality improvement in maternity care: application and revision of an NHSLA coding taxonomy.

Objective: To validate the NHSLA maternity claims taxonomy at the level of a single maternity service and assess its ability to direct quality improvement.

Design: Qualitative descriptive study.

Setting: Medico-legal claims between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2016 from a maternity service in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Early electroencephalogram does not reliably differentiate outcomes in post-hypoxic myoclonus.

Objective: Prognostication in patients with post-hypoxic brain injury remains difficult; yet, clinicians are commonly asked to guide decisions regarding withdrawal of life support. We aimed to assess whether electroencephalogram (EEG) is a useful tool in predicting neurological outcome in patients with post-hypoxic myoclonus (PHM).

Design And Setting: This study was conducted as part of an internal hospital audit assessing therapeutic hypothermia in patients with hypoxic cardiac arrest.

Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams.

Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) have been introduced into hospitals worldwide in an effort to improve the outcomes of deteriorating hospitalised patients. Recently, there has been increased awareness of the need to develop systems other than RRTs for deteriorating patients. In May 2016, the 12th International Conference on Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams was held in Melbourne.

The epidemiology of in-hospital cardiac arrests in Australia and New Zealand.

Background: The epidemiology of in-hospital cardiac arrests (IHCA) in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has not been systematically assessed.

Aim: To conduct a systematic review of the frequency, characteristics and outcomes of adult IHCA in ANZ.

Methods: Medline search for studies published in 1964-2014 using MeSH terms 'arrest AND hospital AND Australia', 'arrest AND hospital AND New Zealand', 'inpatient AND arrest AND Australia' and 'inpatient AND arrest AND New Zealand'.