Rural trauma – a high-speed vehicle roll over, a farming accident with a chainsaw, a gas BBQ explosion at the family picnic. These are all scenarios that may affect individuals & families…and the rural community. Occasionally a multi-agency event such as a bushfire, extreme weather event or other natural disaster will cause traumatic injuries and …
There’s no doubt that for the small rural emergency department, a critically unwell patient can quickly overwhelm available resources. Like many small rural hospitals in Australia, there is one doctor on call for emergency presentations, with the ward-based nursing staff (two in out location) responsible for ward care, assessment of outpatient attendances as well as …
If you haven’t already, listen to self-proclaimed “hottie” Liz Crowe, social worker from the Mater, delivering a blistering smaccTALK on ‘swearing your way out of a crisis‘. I met up with her just before the session for a bit of advice on swearing before my own smaccTALK; she did suggest that gratuitous use of the …
There has been a lot of discussion this week regarding pressure on the Emergency Department at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia. Rack ’em and stack ’em! I have a ‘soft spot’ for Flinders. I worked there as a junior resident and then registrar in the late 90s/early naughties and like to think that I …
Well there’s an interesting article this week from Emergency Medicine Australia (Nagree et al 2012 ‘Telephone triage is not the answer to ED overcrowding’ EMA 24 123-126) as well as a media release from the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine regarding triage. Before rural medicine I was an EM trainee. I’m pretty passionate about emergency …