Advanced Life Support

Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines: Index of guidelines

American Heart Association Clinical Guidelines

Paediatric Life Support Protocols - Advanced Paediatric Life Support Australia

Cardiac

NSW chest pain pathway, PD2011_037, NSW Health, 9 June 2011

The Policy outlines the minimum standards for the management of patients presenting with Chest Pain or other symptoms of myocardial ischaemia.

NOTE: This Policy also applies to Local Health Networks until Local Health Districts commence on 1 July 2011.

ECGpedia

A free interactive electrocardiography (ECG) tutorial and textbook designed for healthcare professionals. 

Critical Care

NSW critical care tertiary referral networks and transfer of care (adults) - PD2010_012, NSW Health, 30 March 2010

This policy directive relates to critically ill adult patients and patients at risk of critical deterioration requiring referral and transfer. The NSW Critical Care Tertiary Referral Networks (Adults) define the links between Area Health Services and tertiary referral hospitals and take into account established functional clinical referral relationships. Implicit to this policy is that access to emergency care and/or urgent surgical intervention for time-urgent critical patients is not to be delayed due to no-available ICU bed: the Aeromedical and Medical Retrieval Services (AMRS) is to be contacted immediately for such patients.

NSW critical care tertiary referral networks (paediatrics) - PD2010_030, NSW Health, 2 June 2010

This Policy Directive relates to critically ill children requiring inter-hospital transfer and should be read in conjunction with policy PD2005_157 Emergency Paediatric Referrals.

Dermatology

DermNet NZ

This is a New Zealand based website written and reviewed by dermatologists to present authoritative facts and resources about the skin for consumers and health professionals. 

Forensic and coronial

Reporting deaths after anaesthesia and sedation - Information sheet 1, September 2012

Blood alcohol sampling by hospital staff - PD2005_495, NSW Health, 28 February 2005

Requirements for taking blood samples from persons injured in accidents.

Coronial cases and the coroners act 2009 - PD2010_054, NSW Health, 1 September 2010

To provide medical practitioners, health care workers and managers in the public health system with specific information about the Coroners Act 2009; and medical practitioners, nurses and midwives, health care workers and administrators with direction and guidance about reportable deaths to the NSW Coroner. 

Sexual assault services policy and procedures manual (adult) - PD2005_607, NSW Health, 18 July 2005

Handover/discharge/transfer

Retrieval Handover, PD2012_019, NSW Health, 19 April 2012

The purpose of this policy is to confirm the process to ensure a coordinated handover and transfer of care between hospital clinicians and medical retrieval teams. Compliance with this policy will minimise the chances of adverse events during handover of retrieval patients between hospital and retrieval teams.

ISBAR iPhone / iPad application, NSW Safe Clinical Handover Program and South Australian Health Department

The ISBAR iPhone / iPad application has been developed for clinical staff to provide prompts of the information required in handover. The prompts cover several patient categories including medical, surgical, mental health and the deteriorating patient.  The application allows free form input to enable clinicians to develop individual handover prompts for other specialties, which is consistent with the flexible standardisation methodology. The application is available free of charge oniTunes and will be available to other Android platforms soon.

Download now by using the links below:

• iPhone/iPod ISBAR app http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/isbar/id465890292?mt=8
• iPad ISBAR App is http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/isbar-hd/id465890794?mt=8

Ambulance to Emergency Department Handover Project (IMIST-AMBO)

This project was funded by the Ministerial Taskforce for Emergency Care to develop a handover protocol that ensured the smooth transfer of pre-hospital care into the acute setting.  It was conducted by the Centre for Health Communication, UTS.  The following resources are now available for hospitals implementing IMIST-AMBO:

• ED poster for display at triage

• Formatted triage sheet

• Ambulance / Emergency Department Handover project report

• Video - demonstrating to ED staff the use of IMIST-AMBO during the clinical handover of a patient (10 minutes in duration)

Discharge policy for emergency department at risk patients, PD2005_082, NSW Health, 25 January 2005

Requirements prior to discharging at risk patients.

Inter-facility Transfer Process for Adults requiring Specialist Care, PD2011_031, NSW Health, 1 June 2011

To provide a process for the inter-facility transfer of adult patients requiring specialist care where existing clinical referral pathways do not exist or access to safe and timely care is delayed. Nominated tertiary referral centres are defined and require senior clinicians with facility Patient Flow Units to coordinate the safe and timely transfer of patients.

Head injury

Initial management of closed head injury in adults: clinical practice guidelines, 2nd edition - NSW ITIM, November 2011

Full document

Algorithm (1 page)

The management of acute neurotrauma in rural and remote locations - Neurosurgical Society of Australasia, 2009

Influenza

Hospital Response to Pandemic Influenza part 1: Emergency Department Response, PD2007_048, NSW Health, 27 June 2007

This document describes the Emergency Department component of a broader Area Health Service response to pandemic influenza. This document should be read in conjunction with an Area Health Service's pandemic influenza plan.

Mental health

Mental health, drug and alcoholl - Emergency Department and Ambulance Monitoring Guideline, GL2012_009, NSW Health, 18 October 2012

The purpose of this guideline is to guide the flow of information within the Ministry of Health in regards to increases in Emergency Department (ED) presentations or NSW Ambulance Service calls for mental health, drug or alcohol problems identified by the Public Health Real-time Emergency Department Surveillance System (PHREDSS).

Medical assessment of the mental health patient

Information prepared by the ECI including supporting evidence and an assessment form for use in EDs.

Mental health – 24 hour contacts

The 1800 011 511 Mental Health Line has been established to ensure that people with a mental health problem, their families and carers can access the care they need whenever and wherever they need it.

It is not an emergency service so people in a life threatening situation must still call 000 to receive immediate help.

It will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will provide a telephone triage assessment and referral service staffed by mental health clinicians.  It will also be used to provide advice about clinical symptoms, the urgency of the need for care and local treatment options for service providers, such as general practitioners, police and ambulance officers.

Mental Health for Emergency Departments: A Reference Guide, NSW Health 2009

This document is a reference guide for clinicians working as first responders to mental health presentations, particularly for emergency and acute presentations. It provides practical guidance in the initial clinical assessment and management of mental health presentations.

This document is a revision and update of the Mental Health for Emergency Departments - AReference Guide" 2001 and amended version May 2002; and replaces those documents. Its development involved extensive consultation with nursing, medical, and allied health clinicians from both emergency medicine and mental health services. It is based on the best clinical advice currently available. As such, it will require updating in the light of evidence and changes to clinical practice in the future.

Musculoskeletal

Shoulder dislocation and relocation techniques website

This is a website devoted to the education of doctors and paramedical professionals in shoulder dislocations and relocation methods. 

* Please note: This website is currently not operational but should be up and running again soon (05/09/2012).

Pain management

Emergency Care Acute Pain Management Manual, National Institute of Clinical Studies, 2011, National Health and Medical Research Council

This resource outlines evidence-based clinical assessment and management of some of the more common paediatric and adult pain-associated conditions that to the emergency department.

Pathology

Guideline on pathology testing in the Emergency Department, ACEM and RCPA, April 2013

A Guideline developed by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (ACEM) and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) to provide guidance on appropriate pathology test requesting in Emergency Departments.

RCPA Manual, The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia,

This is an online manual that aims to help you understand your clinical problems and pathology tests

Respiratory

Care of Adult Patients in Acute Care Facilities with Tracheostomy: Clinical Practice Guidelines, NSW Agency for Clinical Innovation, 2013

Rural

Rural adult emergency clinical guidelines (3rd edition, Version 3.1), GL2012_003, NSW Health, 10 April 2012

The intention of these guidelines is to ensure early appropriate management of acute and life threatening conditions, and to relieve pain and discomford for patients at hospitals where medical practitioners are not immediately available. The guidelines reflect best clinical practice and are not mandatory, however, they have ben adopted and implemented across the State since 2004 providing essential clinical support for rural emergency clinicians. 

Stroke

Emergency department stroke and transient ischaemic attack care bundle, National Institute of Clinical Studies, 2009

NICS has developed a set of evidence-based resources to improve the implementation of guideline recommendations for acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) management in the emergency department (ED). The project used the National Stroke Foundation’s (NSF) Clinical Guidelines for Acute Stroke Management (2007), available from the NSF website, as the evidence-base for the resources.

Trauma

Emergency airway management in the trauma patient: clinical practice guidelines, NSW ITIM, January 2007

Management of hypovolaemic shock in the trauma patient: clinical practice guidelines, NSW ITIM, January 2007

Management of haemodynamically unstable patients with a pelvicfracture: clinical practice guidelines, NSW ITIM, January 2007 

Triage and admission

Policy on the Australasian Triage Scale, P06, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Reviewed March 2006 

Guidelines for the Implementation of the Triage Scale in Emergency Departments, G24, Australasian College for Emergency Medicine, Adopted November 2000

Emergency Department – Notification of Specialist or VMO regarding patients admitted through the ED, GL2011_003, NSW Health, 7 February 2011

The purpose of this Guideline is to provide advice on the development of hospital mechanisms for the notification of Specialists or Visiting Medical Officers of patients admitted through the Emergency Department.

Emergency Department Patients Awaiting Care, PD2010_075, NSW Health, 22 December 2010

Details the procedures and guidelines required to address the needs of patients and their carers while in Emergency Department waiting area.

Emergency Department – Direct Admission to Inpatient Wards, PD2009_055, NSW Health, 7 September 2009

This policy directive sets out the policy to be followed where a patient in an Emergency Department requires admission and an inpatient clinical team has not confirmed acceptance of the admission within two hours of the clinical decision that the patient requires admission. The policy reflects discussions with the Emergency Care Taskforce and AMA NSW and implements Recommendation 96 of the Garling Special Commission of Inquiry.

Triage of patients in NSW Emergency Departments, PD2008_009, NSW Health, 24 January 2008

The purpose of this policy directive is to ensure that the process of Triage is undertaken by appropriately trained and skilled clinicians. The policy has been amended to address concerns that