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Immediate Care (immediate + care)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	80%

Selected Abstracts

Care for the Adult Family Members of Victims of Unexpected Cardiac Death

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006
Robert Zalenski MD
Abstract More than 300,000 sudden coronary deaths occur annually in the United States, despite declining cardiovascular death rates. In 2000, deaths from heart disease left an estimated 190,156 new widows and 68,493 new widowers. A major unanswered question for emergency providers is whether the immediate care of the loved ones left behind by the deceased should be a therapeutic task for the staff of the emergency department in the aftermath of a fatal cardiac arrest. Based on a review of the literature, the authors suggest that more research is needed to answer this question, to assess the current immediate needs and care of survivors, and to find ways to improve care of the surviving family of unexpected cardiac death victims. This would include improving quality of death disclosure, improving care for relatives during cardiopulmonary resuscitation of their family member, and improved methods of referral for services for prevention of psychological and cardiovascular morbidity during bereavement. [source]

Population-based Triage Management in Response to Surge-capacity Requirements during a Large-scale Bioevent Disaster

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006
Frederick M. Burkle Jr MD
Both the naturally occurring and deliberate release of a biological agent in a population can bring catastrophic consequences. Although these bioevents have similarities with other disasters, there also are major differences, especially in the approach to triage management of surge capacity resources. Conventional mass-casualty events use uniform methods for triage on the basis of severity of presentation and do not consider exposure, duration, or infectiousness, thereby impeding control of transmission and delaying recognition of victims requiring immediate care. Bioevent triage management must be population based, with the goal of preventing secondary transmission, beginning at the point of contact, to control the epidemic outbreak. Whatever triage system is used, it must first recognize the requirements of those Susceptible but not exposed, those Exposed but not yet infectious, those Infectious, those Removed by death or recovery, and those protected by Vaccination or prophylactic medication (SEIRV methodology). Everyone in the population falls into one of these five categories. This article addresses a population approach to SEIRV-based triage in which decision making falls under a two-phase system with specific measures of effectiveness to increase likelihood of medical success, epidemic control, and conservation of scarce resources. [source]

Presentations by youth to Auckland Emergency Departments following a suicide attempt

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2002
Sara Bennett
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to describe the population of European youth (15,24 years) presenting to emergency departments (EDs) at one of the three Auckland public hospitals following attempted suicide; and to identify factors associated with presentations to EDs by these youth. A 1-year medical record review was undertaken. A total of 212 presentations (196 individuals) occurred during the surveillance; alcohol was present for 29%. Attempts involving alcohol were more likely to occur at weekends (P < 0.01); involve cutting and piercing (P < 0.05); be undertaken by employed people (P < 0.05), and be undertaken by those not residing with family (P < 0.01). Two groups of particular concern were identified: those who involved alcohol in their attempt; and those who represented during the study period following multiple suicide attempts. These findings have implications for immediate care within an ED setting, and long-term follow-up healthcare options for distressed young people. [source]

Qualitative assessment of patient experiences following sacrectomy,

JOURNAL OF SURGICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 6 2010
K.M. Davidge MD
Abstract Background and Objectives The primary objective was to investigate patient experiences following sacral resection as a component of curative surgery for advanced rectal cancers, soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Methods Qualitative methods were used to examine the experiences, decision-making, quality of life, and supportive care needs of patients undergoing sacrectomy. Patients were identified from two prospective databases between 1999 and 2007. A semi-structured interview guide was generated and piloted. Patient interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using standard qualitative research methodology. Grounded theory guided the generation of the interview guide and analysis. Results Twelve patients were interviewed (6 female, 32,82 years of age). The mean interview time was 34,min. Five themes were identified, including: (1) the life-changing impact of surgery on both patients' and their family's lives, (2) patient satisfaction with immediate care in hospital, (3) significant chronic pain related to sacrectomy, (4) patients' need for additional information regarding long-term recovery, and (5) patients' gratitude to be alive. Conclusions Sacrectomy is a life-changing event for patients and their families. Patients undergoing sacrectomy need further information regarding the long-term consequences of this procedure. This need should be addressed in both preoperative multi-disciplinary consultations and at follow-up visits. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 101:447,450. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

The Role of Differential Diagnoses in Self-Triage Decision-Making

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, Issue 1 2010
Elizabeth C. Hall
Self-triage, or the decision if and when to seek medical care is crucial, but also intrinsically difficult. The current study evaluates how the presence of competing diagnoses with differing severities influences participants' likelihood of seeking care. Participants were healthy undergraduate students from McMaster University. In a within-subjects design, participants rated the urgency with which they would seek medical care for a series of hypothetical scenarios. Each scenario included symptoms and either a low-severity diagnosis, a high-severity diagnosis, or a differential diagnosis where both high- and low-severity options were presented. Participants rated low-severity diagnoses as less urgent than high-severity diagnoses, as expected. Critically, when presented with both low- and high-severity options, participants rated scenarios with an intermediate level of urgency. Further analyses showed that participants appeared to base their urgency judgments on the low-severity diagnosis and then adjust their ratings upward when presented with a high-severity alternative. The results demonstrate that even when one of the possible diagnoses presented would require immediate care if accurate, ratings of urgency were significantly decreased if another less serious alternative was also suggested, potentially leading to sub-optimal decision-making. Implications of this observed pattern of self-triage decision-making are discussed. [source]