Can clinicians identify community-acquired pneumonia on ultralow-dose CT? A diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Without increasing radiation exposure, ultralow-dose computed tomography (CT) of the chest provides improved diagnostic accuracy of radiological pneumonia diagnosis compared to a chest radiograph. Yet, radiologist resources to rapidly report the chest CTs are limited. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of emergency clinicians' assessments of chest ultralow-dose CTs for community-acquired pneumonia using a radiologist's assessments as reference standard.

[Not Available].

This is a case report of a 67-year-old man with the rare autoimmune disease relapsing polychondritis. The patient was initially diagnosed by general practitioners with erysipelas around his left ear, which was found red, swollen, and painful. Due to the lack of effect from antibiotics, the patient was referred to an emergency department.

Comparison of Acute Versus Subacute Coronary Angiography in Patients With NON-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (from the NONSTEMI Trial).

The optimal timing of coronary angiography (CAG) in high-risk patients with acute coronary syndrome without persisting ST-segment elevation (NST-ACS) remains undetermined. The NON-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction trial aimed to compare outcomes in NSTE-ACS patients randomized to acute CAG (STEMI-like approach) with patients randomized to medical therapy and subacute CAG. We randomized 496 patients with suspected NST-ACS based on symptoms and significant regional ST depressions and/or elevated point-of-care troponin T (POC-cTnT) (≥50 ng/l) to either acute CAG (<2 hours, n = 245) or subacute CAG (<72 hours, n = 251).

Prehospital intravenous fentanyl administered by ambulance personnel: a cluster-randomised comparison of two treatment protocols.

Background: Prehospital acute pain is a frequent symptom that is often inadequately managed. The concerns of opioid induced side effects are well-founded. To ensure patient safety, ambulance personnel are therefore provided with treatment protocols with dosing restrictions, however, with the concomitant risk of insufficient pain treatment of the patients.

"Hand hygiene perception and self-reported hand hygiene compliance among emergency medical service providers: a Danish survey".

Background: Hand hygiene (HH), a cornerstone in infection prevention and control, lacks quality in emergency medical services (EMS). HH improvement includes both individual and institutional aspects, but little is known about EMS providers' HH perception and motivations related to HH quality. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the HH perception and assess potential factors related to self-reported HH compliance among the EMS cohort.

Compliance with hand hygiene in emergency medical services: an international observational study.

Introduction: Healthcare-associated infection caused by insufficient hygiene is associated with mortality, economic burden, and suffering for the patient. Emergency medical service (EMS) providers encounter many patients in different surroundings and are thus at risk of posing a source of microbial transmission. Hand hygiene (HH), a proven infection control intervention, has rarely been studied in the EMS.

Prehospital infection control and prevention in Denmark: a cross-sectional study on guideline adherence and microbial contamination of surfaces.

Background: Prehospital acute care and treatment have become more complex, and while invasive procedures are standard procedures, focus on infection control and prevention is scarce. We aimed to evaluate guideline adherence, microbial contamination, and associated risk factors.

Methods: In a nationwide cross-sectional study, we evaluated guideline adherence to thorough cleaning (TC) once a day, and moderate cleaning (MC) in-between patient courses.

Predictive value of routine point-of-care cardiac troponin T measurement for prehospital diagnosis and risk-stratification in patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive value of routine prehospital point-of-care cardiac troponin T measurement for diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: All prehospital emergency medical service vehicles in the Central Denmark Region were equipped with a point-of-care cardiac troponin T device (Roche Cobas h232) for routine use in all patients with a suspected acute myocardial infarction. During the study period, 1 June 2012-30 November 2015, prehospital point-of-care cardiac troponin T measurements were performed in a total of 19,615 cases seen by the emergency medical service and 18,712 point-of-care cardiac troponin T measurements in 15,781 individuals were matched with an admission.

Do prehospital providers and emergency nurses agree on triage assignment?: an efficacy study.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement on triage level between prehospital providers and emergency department (ED) nurses in clinical practice when using the same triage system. The objectives were as follows: (a) What is the agreement of triage between prehospital providers and ED nurses, when using Danish Emergency Process Triage (DEPT) correctly? (b) Which part of the triage process yields the highest agreement regarding the final triage?

Methods: The study was a prospective and observational efficacy study. Patients transported to the ED by ambulances were included.

POSAiDA: presence of Staphylococcus aureus/MRSA and Enterococcus/VRE in Danish ambulances. A cross-sectional study.

Background: Every year approximately one out of ten Danish patients contracts a healthcare associated infection (HAI). Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus are prominent in the group of pathogenic bacteria that underlie HAIs, causing unnecessary inconvenience and prolonging hospitalization. Bacterial colonization often occurs due to indirect patient-to-patient transmission, caused by poor hygiene compliance.

UniStatus - a cross-sectional study on the contamination of uniforms in the Danish ambulance service.

Background: Patients are at risk of contracting infections due to the presence of disease-causing microorganisms that can be transmitted from the medical staff's uniforms to the patient. The dual purpose of this study was to examine the contamination level of the uniforms worn by ambulance staff after a shift and to test the effect of washing of the uniform with and without a detergent containing acetic peroxide.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study in which 30 ambulance staff uniforms were randomly selected for inclusion and divided into two groups.

[Ambulance transportation guidelines].

Inter-hospital transportation poses potential risks to staff and patients. The present guidelines recommend competency-based management dictated by the patient's clinical condition and medical requirements during transfer. The guidelines aim to: 1) improve patient and staff safety during transport, 2) minimize the occurrence of adverse events during transport, 3) ensure that accompanying staff are trained for and skilled in transfer and retrieval medicine and 4) encourage optimal utilisation of available competencies without unnecessarily draining hospital resources.