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Introduction: We sought to determine the difference between Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR) indicated imaging rates and actual imaging rates for patients with mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) at a rural emergency department (ED) without in-house computed tomography (CT). In addition, we compared CCHR adherence at a hospital without CT to previous publications from centres with CT to determine if rural populations receive less CT imaging for minor head traumas when indicated by the CCHR. Methods: This retrospective chart review explored individuals who presented to a rural ED (no in-house CT scanner) with a primary diagnosis of mild head injury or concussion between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2021. Information regarding CCHR criteria, transfer status and patient demographics was collected. Descriptive analyses were completed to determine the percentage of patients who received appropriate transfer for imaging, did not receive transfer for imaging when indicated and received unnecessary transfer. Results: A total of 124 charts met our inclusion criteria (17 [12.1%] charts excluded), with 25.8% transferred to the nearest hospital for CT imaging. After applying the CCHR criteria to our charts, 62.1% were indicated for CT. Of the 62.1%, only 35.1% were transferred for imaging (51.2% of high-risk and 16.7% of medium-risk). Conclusion: By exploring CT rates for mTBIs in a rural Canadian ED, we found low transfer rates (35.1%) of CCHR-indicated patients for imaging needed to guide further healthcare decisions. This work highlights a discrepancy within the Canadian healthcare system between rural and urban centres and allows for opportunities to help narrow the gap in health care. Introduction: Nous avons cherché à déterminer la différence entre les taux d'imagerie indiqués par le Canadian CT Head Rule (CCHR, règlement canadien relatif à la tomodensitométrie de la tête) et les taux d'imagerie réels pour les patients souffrant de traumatismes craniocérébraux légers (TCCL) dans un service d'urgence rural ne disposant pas d'une tomographie par ordinateur interne. En outre, nous avons comparé l'adhésion au CCHR dans un hôpital sans tomographie par ordinateur à des publications antérieures provenant de centres avec tomographie par ordinateur afin de déterminer si les populations rurales reçoivent moins d'imagerie par tomodensitométrie pour les traumatismes crâniens mineurs lorsque le CCHR l'indique. Méthodes: Cette étude rétrospective des dossiers a exploré les personnes qui SE sont présentées à une urgence rurale (sans tomodensitomètre interne) avec un diagnostic primaire de traumatisme crânien léger ou de commotion cérébrale entre le 1er janvier 2017 et le 31 décembre 2021. Les informations concernant les critères du CCHR, l'état de transfert et les données démographiques des patients ont été recueillies. Des analyses descriptives ont été réalisées pour déterminer le pourcentage de patients ayant reçu un transfert approprié pour l'imagerie, n'ayant pas reçu de transfert pour l'imagerie quand c'était indiqué et ayant reçu un transfert inutile. Résultats: Au total, 124 dossiers répondaient à nos critères d'inclusion [17 (12,1%) dossiers exclus], dont 25,8% ont été transférés à l'hôpital le plus proche pour une imagerie par tomodensitométrie. Après avoir appliqué les critères du CCHR à nos dossiers, 62,1% d'entre eux étaient indiqués pour une tomodensitométrie. Sur ces 62,1%, seuls 35,1% ont été transférés pour imagerie (51,2% de haut risque, 16,7% de risque moyen). Conclusion: En explorant les taux de tomodensitométrie pour les TCCL dans un service d'urgence rural canadien, nous avons constaté de faibles taux de transfert (35,1%) des patients recommandés par le CCRH pour une imagerie nécessaire dans le but de guider les décisions de soins de santé ultérieures. Ce travail met en évidence un écart dans le système de santé canadien entre les centres ruraux et urbains et offre des opportunités pour aider à réduire l'écart dans les soins de santé. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At a time when pre-hospital medicine in Africa is still in its early stages, we report our two-year experience in this field in this study. Method and population: This retrospective and analytical study was conducted over a period from January 1, 2018, to December 31, 2019. It included all telephone calls received by the call reception and regulation center, medically regulated patients admitted to the emergency department of CHU Gabriel Touré, as well as the outcomes of non-regulated patients upon their arrival at the ED of CHU Gabriel Touré. Results: We recorded 2,314 calls at the call reception and regulation center of CHU Gabriel Touré, among which 1,821 regulated patients were received at the Emergency Department of CHU Gabriel Touré. Half of the calls originated from healthcare centers in the Bamako district. Among the healthcare facilities that requested medical regulation, the primary care centers in Bamako called 1,568 times, the Bamako University Hospitals (CHU) called 224 times, and the regional hospitals called 367 times. These calls were made by physicians in 94.5% of cases. The pathologies that led to these requests mainly consisted of neuro-injured patients in 943 calls, followed by obstetric complications during pregnancy with 322 calls. The primary reasons motivating these calls were a lack of technical equipment in 75% of cases, a shortage of specialists for the indicated pathology in 10.5% of cases, and a deficit of hospital beds in 13.8% of cases. CHU Gabriel Touré received 74.7% of the patients, while CHU Point G received 13.4%. Patients received at CHU Gabriel Touré were directed to the Emergency Department in 78.7% of cases, including 20.8% to obstetric emergency services and 0.8% to the intensive care unit. We observed 8 deaths upon arrival in the group of medically regulated patients. During the same period, 1,032 deaths were reported upon arrival in the group of non-regulated patients outside the emergency entrance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) has been recognised as a tool that leads to more definitive diagnoses and enhances clinical decision making in rural emergency departments (EDs) where diagnostic imaging is limited. We aimed to determine the current utilisation, barriers and solutions to using PoCUS in this rural Saskatchewan ED. Methods: Physicians working in the ED participated in a semi structured interview. An online survey, administered via SurveyMonkey post interview to provide further context, was used to support qualitative approaches. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and then analysed using inductive interpretation. Results: Seven physicians completed the quantitative survey with a response rate of 70%. Ten physicians were interviewed with a response rate of 100%. Themes identified were that physicians in this community's ED perceived their skill level as determining whether a scan was diagnostic or not, rather than the specific PoCUS application itself. In addition, they performed scans primarily for the purpose of triage. Inadequate training, Core IP certification certification requirement and intradepartmental logistics were barriers to PoCUS utilisation. Conclusion: This study showed that ED physicians in this community perceived PoCUS as a clinical adjunct and as a tool to triage patients for further imaging. Results highlight the need to have accessible training for rural physicians to increase PoCUS utilisation, awareness of current Saskatchewan PoCUS guidelines and education on diagnostic applications of PoCUS. Increased use of PoCUS for specific scans could decrease the need for formal imaging and the associated healthcare system resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: The emergency department (ED) in rural communities is essential for providing care to patients with urgent medical issues and those unable to access primary care. Recent physician staffing shortages have put many EDs at risk of temporary closure. Our goal was to describe the demographics and practices of the rural physicians providing emergency medicine services across Ontario in order to inform health human resource planning. Methods: The ICES Physician database (IPDB) and Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) billing database from 2017 were used in this retrospective cohort study. Rural physician data were analysed for demographic, practice region and certification information. Sentinel billing codes (i.e., a billing code unique to a particular clinical service) were used to define 18 unique physician services. Results: A total of 1192 physicians from the IPDB met inclusion as rural generalist physicians out of a total of 14,443 family physicians in Ontario. From this physician population, a total of 620 physicians practised emergency medicine which accounted for 33% of their days worked on average. The majority of physicians practising emergency medicine were between the ages of 30 and 49 and in their first decade of practice. The most common services in addition to emergency medicine were clinic, hospital medicine, palliative care and mental health. Conclusion: This study provides insight into the practice patterns of rural physicians and the basis for better targeted physician workforce-forecasting models. A new approach to education and training pathways, recruitment and retention initiatives and rural health service delivery models is needed to ensure better health outcomes for our rural population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Annales Françaises de Médecine d'Urgence is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Emergency Nursing (CJEN) is the property of National Emergency Nurses Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)