Oral Paracetamol Versus Combination Oral Analgesics for Acute Musculoskeletal Injuries.

Study Objective: We compare paracetamol with a combination of paracetamol, ibuprofen, and codeine for pain relief in acute minor musculoskeletal injuries.

Methods: This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, active-controlled, parallel-arm study at an urban tertiary hospital emergency department. Participants were aged 18 to 65 years and had acute (<48 hours) closed limb or trunk injuries with moderate pain (greater than 3/10).

Emergency nurse practitioners: do they provide an effective service in managing minor injuries, compared to emergency medicine registrars?

Aim: To determine whether emergency nurse practitioners (ENPs) are as equivalent to emergency medicine (EM) registrars in minor injury management in a New Zealand environment.

Method: A Prospective observational audit (chart review) of a non-consecutive cohort of patients with minor trauma was conducted. The primary outcome measure was length of stay.

A time for international standards?: comparing the Emergency Nurse Practitioner role in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

The aim of this paper is to compare the Emergency Nurse Practitioner (ENP) role in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Whilst geographically distant, the role of the ENP within these three countries shares fundamental similarities, causing us to question, is this a time to implement international standards for the role? The ENP role in all three countries is gradually establishing itself, yet there are shared concerns over how the role is regulated and deficits in standardisation of scope of practice and educational level. Together these issues generate confusion over what the ENP role embodies.