To clarify case mix, mode of transport and reasons for interfacility transfer from rural emergency departments (EDs) and to make recommendations for improved emergency health care delivery in rural settings.

This was a multi-centre descriptive study, based in 5 rural Ontario EDs. Over a 1-year period, all ED patients who required transfer to another hospital were studied. Data collection forms were completed prospectively by the most responsible nurse involved in the transfer. Main measurements included patient age, gender, place of residence, circumstances and reason for transfer, primary diagnosis, mode of transport and receiving hospital.

Of 53 796 patients who presented to the 5 participating EDs, 98.4% were managed locally and 836 (1.6%) were transferred to referral centres. Most patients (86%) were transferred because they required treatment beyond the scope of the local hospital. The need for orthopedic care, CT and pediatric care accounted for 23.6%, 14.1% and 8.7% of transfers respectively.

These data suggest that rural family physicians may benefit from increased orthopedic and pediatric training and support. The study also identified a need for increased specialist availability in our rural setting. The high number of transfers for CT scans suggests that some rural health regions should consider acquiring a “regional” CT scanner. The development of a regional hospital, with a CT scanner and specialist resources, especially a general surgery on-call system, would reduce the need for transfer outside the region.

Acute upper gastrointestinal (UGI) hemorrhage is a common, often serious condition encountered in the emergency department (ED). Previous research has suggested that transfusion of blood products may interfere with the hypercoagulable state induced by significant blood loss. Our objective was to determine whether the frequency of rebleeding is higher in patients with UGI bleeding who have received early blood transfusion.

The study was a retrospective chart review of patients admitted to hospital through the ED with a diagnosis of UGI hemorrhage. Inclusion criteria limited analysis to patients presenting with hematemesis, melena, or bloody nasogastric aspirate, in whom a UGI lesion was confirmed endoscopically during admission.

A total of 214 charts were analyzed. Baseline demographic characteristics were similar in transfused and non-transfused patients. Presenting hemoglobin level was lower in the transfused group (86.5 v. 119.2 g/L, p < 0.001). Recurrent bleeding occurred in 99 (46%) patients and was more common in transfused patients (67 [66%] v. 33 [29%], p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that transfusion and presenting hemoglobin level were the only variables with a statistically significant independent association with bleeding recurrence (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05 respectively).

Our results support previous research suggesting that transfused UGI bleed patients have a higher rate of rebleeding. However, because of the retrospective design, causality cannot be inferred.

We conducted a qualitative systematic review to evaluate the efficacy and safety of propofol for direct current cardioversion (DCC), rapid sequence intubation (RSI) and procedural sedation in adult emergency department (ED) patients.

MEDLINE (1966 to September 2000), PubMed (to September 2000), EMBASE (1988 to September 2000), Database of Systematic Reviews (to September 2000), Best Evidence (1991 to September 2000) and Current Contents (1996 to September 2000) databases.

English-language, randomized, comparative evaluations of propofol for procedures routinely conducted in adults (>18 years) were included. Direct current cardioversion, RSI and procedural sedation were considered.

Efficacy and safety endpoints were evaluated for all trials. For DCC and procedural sedation trials, efficacy measures included induction and recovery times, as well as the association for successful procedure. For the RSI trials, optimal intubating conditions were evaluated as the primary efficacy endpoint. Safety measures included hemodynamic changes, apnea rates and adverse effects.

In the setting of DCC, efficacy and safety outcomes were similar for propofol, thiopental, etomidate and methohexital. All of these agents provided markedly shorter induction and recovery times than midazolam. Patients who were pre-medicated with fentanyl exhibited prolonged recovery times and greater decreases in blood pressure. When used for RSI, propofol administration was associated with satisfactory intubating conditions that were comparable to those seen with thiopental and etomidate. Blood pressure reductions were seen in both DCC and RSI studies. Apneic episodes (>30 seconds) occurred in 23% of propofol recipients, 28% of thiopental recipients and 7% of etomidate and midazolam recipients. Apart from the DCC studies described, no procedural sedation studies met our predefined review eligibility criteria.

The body of literature evaluating propofol for DCC and RSI in the ED is limited. There is evidence to support the use of propofol for DCC and RSI, but this evidence comes from stable patients in non-ED settings. Further ED-based randomized comparative trials should be conducted before propofol is adopted for widespread use in the ED.

1) To describe injuries experienced by the male prisoner population in the Kingston, Ontario area, and to compare them with those observed in the general population; and 2) to compare the incidence and patterns of prisoner injuries seen in emergency departments (EDs) before and after the introduction of a prison injury triage system.

A chart review.

The catchment area surrounding 2 hospital-based EDs in Kingston, Ontario, which includes 8 federal and provincial prisons for adult males.

Injuries to male prisoners (ages 18–75 years) who were treated in the ED during 1996–98 were compared with injuries to the general male population of the same age range. An on-site emergency care triage system was introduced to area prisons in 1993. Prisoner injuries seen in the ED during 1996–98 were compared with those seen during a similar period prior to the introduction of the triage system (1981–84). Available comparators included patient demographics, disposition, intent and nature of injury, the need for surgery, and lengths of hospital stay.

148 prisoner injuries were identified for 1996–98. Prisoner injuries seen in the ED were relatively severe when compared with the general male population, as indicated by the higher frequency of fractures (31.8% prisoner vs. 13.4% general, p < 0.001), blunt head injuries (10.1% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001), hospital admissions (42.6% vs. 4.1%, p < 0.001) and deaths (2.7% vs. 0.6%, p < 0.001). Since the introduction of the triage system there has been a reduction in the rate of prisoner injuries seen in local hospital EDs (6.1/100/yr [before] vs. 1.6/100/yr [after], p < 0.001). There has been an increase in the relative severity of prisoner injuries seen in the EDs as indicated by the increased hospital admission rate (42.6% vs. 22.7%, p < 0.001), increased rate of surgical intervention (27.7% vs. 12.1%, p < 0.001), and increased length of hospital stay (4.0 days vs. 2.1 days, p < 0.05). The mortality rate has remained low and unchanged (0.7% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.99).

The introduction of the new triage system appeared to be associated with a decrease in the total number of ED visits by prisoners. The relative acuity of prisoner injuries seen in the EDs appeared to increase following introduction of the triage system.

Humidification is a time-honoured therapy for childhood croup (acute laryngotracheobronchitis). Despite a paucity of evidence supporting its use, many physicians, nurses and parents still apply this treatment. Our objective was to summarize available evidence and assess the rationale for the ongoing use of humidity to treat childhood croup.

Searches of both MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database were conducted for English-language original or review literature on the treatment of croup with humidity, for the years 1966-1999.

Only 2 published studies have attempted to evaluate humidification therapy for croup, and none has been published since 1984. There is no published evidence to support the commonly held empirical view that humidity helps alleviate the symptoms of childhood croup, and no understanding of which factors of moisture or temperature affect patient outcomes. Risks may include scalding and unnecessary discomfort.

There is no strong evidence supporting the use of humidity in the treatment of croup. Although such treatment is still widely used, it is not without risk, and further trials are required to address its efficacy.