The prevalence of potential drug-CAM interactions among patients in the emergency department is considerable, and some of these interactions could be clinically significant. Practitioners should increase their awareness of potential drug-CAM interactions, and education initiatives aimed at encouraging patient-physician discussion of CAM use are recommended, such as a CAM history in their patient evaluation. Further research is required to better determine the clinical significance of drug-CAM interactions.
Emergency Medicine staff in Australia and New Zealand are at the forefront of the healthcare response to COVID‐19. This article describes a well‐being plan for ED staff that has been devised to mitigate against the negative psychological impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Complementary and alternative medicines are used by a considerable proportion of ED patients. The potential for side-effects, toxicity and interaction with traditional medication indicates the need for consideration of CAM use in patient assessment.
Background: Adequate preparation and support for healthcare workers (HCWs) managing high-consequence infectious diseases (HCIDs) is critical to the overall clinical management of HCIDs. Qualitative studies examining how well prepared and supported HCWs feel are lacking despite their key role. This study investigated how prepared and supported frontline HCWs at an Australian tertiary hospital felt about managing HCIDs such as viral haemorrhagic fever (VHF). Methods: A qualitative research approach was used to undertake interviews with 45 Royal Melbourne Hospital medical and nursing staff from emergency, intensive care and infectious diseases. Interview questions captured data on HCWs' role, familiarity with using protocols, psychological attributes and training for scenarios related to VHF patient management. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Categorical responses were analysed quantitatively and open-ended responses were analysed thematically. Results: Ninety-eight percent of participants indicated feeling capable of undertaking their role in managing VHF patients; 77% felt supported through personnel/resources. However, 69% indicated barriers to managing these patients effectively; and 68% felt anxious at the
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