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Blackburn, Carol
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Blackburn, Carol
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Blackburn, Carol
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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
- PublicationToo old for a paediatric emergency department? It’s complex(Springer, 2020-11)
; ; ; ; Background: In Ireland, the paediatric emergency department (PED) is tasked with acute healthcare provision to children and adolescents under 16 years of age. The population > 15 years attending the PED remains undescribed. Aims: The objective of the study is to describe the presentations of patients > 15 years to the PED of a national tertiary academic paediatric hospital. Methods: A retrospective review of electronic records identifying all patients (> 15 years) who presented from January 2014 to December 2015. Patient demographics, presenting complaint, diagnosis, treatment and disposition were recorded. Results: A total of 71,082 patients attended during the study period; of whom, 426 (0.6%) patients were aged 16 to 61 years. Over half were identified as having clearly defined chronic complex conditions. Three hundred and forty-five (89%) patients were known to the hospital paediatric services and under the care of specialist with 131 (34%) patients admitted locally, all of whom had chronic complex conditions (CCC). There was a total of 44 (11%) patients who presented to the PED with de novo issues and had a variety of acute presenting complaints with minor injuries, syncope and chest pain being most common. Conclusion: This is the first Irish study demonstrating a significant population (> 15 years) with medical complexity that requires a suite of services in a paediatric hospital which is accessed in an unscheduled manner through an emergency department. We recommend further research to describe paediatric CCC attending Irish emergency and hospital services.119Scopus© Citations 2 - PublicationOne and done? Outcomes from 3961 patients managed via a virtual fracture clinic pathway for paediatric fractures(British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery, 2021-06-01)
; ; ; ; Purpose The aim of this paper is to describe our experience with a virtual fracture management pathway in the setting of a paediatric trauma service.Methods All patients referred to the virtual fracture clinic service from the Paediatric Emergency Department (PED) were prospectively collected. Outcome data of interest (patients discharged, referred for urgent operative treatment, referred back to emergency department for further evaluation, referred for face-to-face clinical assessment and all patients who re-presented on an unplanned basis for further management of the index injury) were compiled and collated. Cost analysis was performed using established costing for a virtual fracture clinic within the Irish Healthcare System.Results There were a total of 3961 patients referred to the virtual fracture clinic from the PED. Of these, 70% (n = 2776) were discharged. In all, 26% (n = 1033) were referred to a face-to-face appointment. Of discharged patients, 7.5% (n = 207) required an unplanned face-to-face evaluation. A total of 0.1% (n = 3) subsequently required operative treatment relating to their index injury. Implementation of the virtual fracture clinic model generated calculated savings of €254 120.Conclusion This prospective evaluation has demonstrated that a virtual fracture clinic pathway for minor paediatric trauma is safe, effective and brings significant cost savings.253Scopus© Citations 3 - PublicationStructured sedation programs in the emergency department, hospital and other acute settings: protocol for systematic review of effects and events(Springer, 2013-10-01)
; ; ; ; ; ; The use of procedural sedation outside the operating theatre has increased in hospital settings and has gained popularity among non-anesthesiologists. Sedative agents used for procedural pain, although effective, also pose significant risks to the patient if used incorrectly. There is currently no universally accepted program of education for practitioners using or introducing procedural sedation into their practice. There is emerging literature identifying structured procedural sedation programs (PSPs) as a method of ensuring a standardized level of competency among staff and reducing risks to the patient. We hypothesize that programs of education for healthcare professionals using procedural sedation outside the operating theatre are beneficial in improving patient care, safety, practitioner competence and reducing adverse event rates. Electronic databases will be systematically searched for studies (randomized and non-randomized) examining the effectiveness of structured PSPs from 1966 to present. Database searches will be supplemented by contact with experts, reference and citation checking, and a grey literature search. No language restriction will be imposed. Screening of titles and abstracts, and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers. All disagreements will be resolved by discussion with an independent third party. Data analysis will be completed adhering to procedures outlined in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. If the data allows, a meta-analysis will be performed. This review will cohere evidence on the effectiveness of structured PSPs on sedation events and patient outcomes within the hospital and other acute care settings. In addition, it will examine key components identified within a PSP associated with patient safety and improved patient outcomes. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42013003851.140Scopus© Citations 7