Publications by authors named "Muhuntha Sri-Ganeshan"
Objective: To evaluate the impact of the Southeast Melbourne Virtual Emergency Department (SEMVED) on transfers from residential aged care facilities (RACFs) to traditional EDs.
Methods: A cohort study of residents requesting transfer to the ED via ambulance within participating health networks' catchments from April to June 2022.
Results: Two hundred thirty-eight VED consultations occurred with 79% (188/238) avoiding transfer.
Background: There is little consensus regarding the indications and utility of urinary tract imaging and type of imaging to perform in patients presenting with acute pyelonephritis (APN).
Aims: The aims of this systematic review were to, among patients with APN, (i) identify the proportion of patients investigated with ultrasound (US), (ii) identify the proportion of abnormal US and (iii) identify the proportion of patients with a change in management resulting from abnormal US.
Methods: A comprehensive search covered two electronic databases (Medline and EMBASE), with selection of studies performed independently by two investigators.
Digital technologies, specifically those required to facilitate telehealth via an audiovisual medium, are now at a standard that allows them to reliably assess patients with acute complaints within their homes. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced innovation and led to an increased acceptance of telehealth from both clinicians and patients and presented an opportunity to incorporate telehealth into emergency medicine practice. With inpatient capacity strain exacerbated by the pandemic, three hospital networks within Melbourne's geographical southeast collaborated with Ambulance Victoria (AV) to set up a virtual emergency department (VED) service in January 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Virtual ED (VED) can potentially alleviate ED overcrowding which has been a public health challenge. The aim of the present study was to conduct a return-on-investment analysis of a VED programme developed in response to changing healthcare needs in Australia.
Methods: An economic model was developed based on initial patient outcome data to assess the healthcare costs, potential costs saved and return on investment (ROI) from the VED.
Objective: To report the frequency of electric scooter-related trauma and association with alcohol and other drug (AOD) use.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including presentations from 1 January 2017 to 31 May 2022 to a metropolitan health service.
Results: There were 272 cases included, with increasing frequency, of which 65 (24%) had AOD exposure.
Objective: Supported by the state government, three health networks partnered to initiate a virtual ED (VED), as part of a broader roll-out of emergency telehealth services in Victoria. The aim of the present study (Southeast Region Virtual Emergency Department-1 [SERVED-1]) was to report the initial 5-month experience and included all patients assessed through the service over the first 5 months (1 February 2022 to 30 June 2022).
Methods: VED consults occurred after referral from paramedics in the pre-hospital setting.
There has been great interest regarding tele-emergency care (TEC) and its utility following the COVID-19 pandemic. We have seen a roll out of multiple TEC services across Australia, operating in isolation, without coordination and under differing models of care, creating the potential for an uncoordinated, inefficient healthcare system. We outline a potential framework under which TEC services might function as part of the current system, defining potential strategies that may be used to appropriately coordinate the acute care of select patients outside of the ED as well as improve the efficiency of the physical ED itself.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We developed a clinical tool comprising patient risk factors for having an abnormal calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) or phosphate (PO) level. We hypothesized that patients without a risk factor do not require testing. This study examined the tool's potential utility for rationalizing Ca, Mg and PO ordering in the emergency department (ED).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine author and journal self-citation rates in a sample of original emergency medicine (EM) research articles.
Methods: We undertook a retrospective observational study of original research articles published in 2019 in the top six English language general EM journals. Data comprised the total numbers of articles, citations, authors and self-citations for each author (author self-citations) as well as the number of articles in the reference list that had been previously published in the same journal (journal self-citations).
Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting to Australian EDs with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 during 2020, and to determine the predictors of in-hospital death for SARS-CoV-2 positive patients.
Methods: This analysis from the COVED Project presents data from 12 sites across four Australian states for the period from 1 April to 30 November 2020. All adult patients who met local criteria for suspected COVID-19 and underwent testing for SARS-CoV-2 in the ED were eligible for inclusion.
Objective: The aim of the present study was to describe the epidemiology and clinical features of patients presenting to the ED with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 during Australia's 'second wave'.
Methods: The COVID-19 ED (COVED) Project is an ongoing prospective cohort study in Australian EDs. This analysis presents data from 12 sites across four Australian states for the period from 1 July to 31 August 2020.
Objective: To assess patient satisfaction with laceration management, post-ED care, cosmesis and complication rates.
Methods: We undertook a prospective observational study of adult patients with lacerations sutured in two EDs over a 4-month period. ED data included participant demographics, laceration characteristics and management.