Trends in fall-related ambulance use and hospitalisation among older adults in NSW, 2006-2013: a retrospective, population-based study.

Unlabelled: Objective and importance of study: To describe characteristics and temporal trends of fall-related ambulance service use and hospital admission in older adults in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Such information will facilitate a more targeted approach to planning and delivery of health services to prevent falls and their adverse sequelae in different groups of older adults.

Study Type: Retrospective population-based descriptive study.

Accuracy of Cuff-Measured Blood Pressure: Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is the single greatest cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. HTN management is usually guided by brachial cuff blood pressure (BP), but questions have been raised regarding accuracy.

Objectives: This comprehensive analysis determined the accuracy of cuff BP and the consequent effect on BP classification compared with intra-arterial BP reference standards.

Demand for Emergency Services Trends in New South Wales Years 2010-2014 (DESTINY): Age and Clinical Factors Associated with Ambulance Transportation to Emergency Departments.

Objectives: The study aimed to analyze ambulance transportations to Emergency Departments (EDs) in New South Wales (NSW) and to identify temporal changes in demographics, acuity, and clinical diagnoses.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a population based registry of ED presentations in New South Wales. The NSW Emergency Department data collection (EDCC) collects patient level data on presentations to designated EDs across NSW.

Quantification of NSW Ambulance Record Linkages with Multiple External Datasets.

This study has two aims: 1) to describe linkage rates between ambulance data and external datasets for "episodes of care" and "patient only" linkages in New South Wales (NSW), Australia; and 2) to detect and report any systematic issues with linkage that relate to patients, and operational or clinical variables that may introduce bias in subsequent studies if not adequately addressed. During 2010-11, the Centre for Health Record Linkage (CHeReL) in NSW, linked the records for patients attended by NSW Ambulance paramedics for the period July 2006 to June 2009, with four external datasets: Emergency Department Data Collection; Admitted Patient Data Collection; NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages death registration data; and the Australian Bureau of Statistics mortality data. This study reports linkage rates in terms of those "expected" to link and those who were "not expected" to link with external databases within 24 hours of paramedic attendance.

Right care, right time, right place: improving outcomes for people with spinal cord injury through early access to intervention and improved access to specialised care: study protocol.

Background: Traumatic spinal cord injury is a devastating condition impacting adversely on the health and wellbeing, functioning and independence, social participation and quality of life of the injured person. In Australia, there are approximately 15 new cases per million population per year; economic burden estimates suggest 2 billion dollars annually. For optimal patient outcomes expert consensus recommends expeditious transfer ("<24 hours of injury") to a specialist Spinal Cord Injury Unit, where there is an interdisciplinary team equipped to provide comprehensive care for the many and complex issues associated with traumatic spinal cord injury.

Informing clinical policy decision-making practices in ambulance services.

Aim: This study aims to identify the processes and frameworks that support an evidence-based approach to clinical policy decision-making practices in ambulance services.

Methods: This literature review focused on: (i) the setting (pre-hospital); and (ii) the process of evidence translation, for studies published after the year 2000. Searches of Medline, CINAHL and Google were undertaken.

Level of agreement between prehospital and emergency department vital signs in trauma patients.

Objectives: Describe the level of agreement between prehospital (emergency medical service [EMS]) and ED vital signs in a group of trauma patients transported to an inner city Major Trauma Centre. We also sought to determine factors associated with differences in recorded vital sign measurements.

Methods: All adult patients meeting trauma triage criteria and transported directly from scene of injury by New South Wales Ambulance to our institution were included.

The mean prehospital machine; accurate prehospital non-invasive blood pressure measurement in the critically ill patient.

Objective: Non-invasive blood pressure recordings may be inaccurate in the critically ill patient and measurement difficulties are intensified in the prehospital setting. This may adversely impact upon outcomes for many critically ill patients, particularly those with traumatic brain injury and/or lengthy prehospital times. This study aimed to validate a non-invasive, oscillometric, ambulatory blood pressure measuring device, the Oscar 2, Model 222 (SunTech Medical, Morrisville, USA) during the ambulance transport of critically ill patients.

Off-pump versus on-pump coronary artery bypass procedures:postoperative renal complications in an Asian population.

Introduction: Diabetes and habitual smoking cause advanced coronary artery disease (CAD) in Asian patients at a younger age. No definite data exist as to whether off-pump (OPCAB) is better than conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CCAB) in terms of postoperative renal complications. Thus, we aimed to compare the renal outcomes of on-pump and off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on our patients, which constituted a predominantly Asian population.

Validation of arterial blood pressures observed from the patient monitor; a tool for prehospital research.

Objectives: For some time, the inaccuracies of non-invasive blood pressure measurement in critically ill patients have been recognised. Measurement difficulties can occur even in optimal conditions, but in prehospital transportation vehicles, problems are exacerbated. Intra-arterial pressures must be used as the reference against which to compare the performance of non-invasive methods in the critically ill patient population.

The mean machine; accurate non-invasive blood pressure measurement in the critically ill patient.

Objective: Accurate indirect prehospital blood pressure measurement in the critically ill patient remains an important challenge to both patient management and prehospital research. Ambulatory blood pressure measuring devices have not been trialled for prehospital use in critically ill patients. Prior to prehospital validation where conditions are suboptimal, we aimed to test under favourable conditions in the Intensive Care Unit, a selection of ambulatory devices that may be suitable for use in the field.

Off-pump coronary bypass grafting is safe and efficient in patients with left main disease and higher EuroScore.

Background: Summary Left main disease (LMD) and associated cardiac risk factors are often perceived as a limiting factor for the outcome of off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) grafting. In this study, we assess whether the outcome of OPCAB surgery is affected in such patients.

Methods: We retrospectively compared perioperative parameters in 66 OPCAB patients (group A) with LMD and 216 OPCAB patients without (group B) LMD.

Evaluation of an intervention aimed at improving voluntary incident reporting in hospitals.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an intervention package comprising intense education, a range of reporting options, changes in report management and enhanced feedback, in order to improve incident-reporting rates and change the types of incidents reported.

Design, Setting And Participants: Non-equivalent group controlled clinical trial involving medical and nursing staff working in 10 intervention and 10 control units in four major cities and two regional hospitals in South Australia.

Main Outcome Measures: Comparison of reporting rates by type of unit, profession, location of hospital, type of incident reported and reporting mechanism between baseline and study periods in control and intervention units.

Effects of rotating night shifts: literature review.

Aim: This paper reports a review examining the concept of sleep and its antithesis of fatigue, and considers the evidence on nurses' ability to cope with the demands of continually changing hours of work, their safety, and the impact any manifestations of sleep disruption may have on the care of their patients. While many aspects of this paper may apply to nursing in general, special consideration is given to nurses in the critical care environment.

Background: Night duty rotations are common practice in nursing, and particularly in specialist units.