Notification of random hyperglycaemia to general practitioners by an emergency medicine team: impact of a simple intervention plan.

AIM: To determine whether general practitioners (GPs) were being appropriately notified of patients' elevated random glucose levels by emergency medicine (EM) staff, and to investigate whether two simple interventions improved the notification rate. METHODS: Patients were included if their random venous plasma glucose (RVPG) at presentation to the Emergency Department (ED) was >or= 7.8 mmol/l and if they were discharged directly to their GP. Patients with known impaired glucose metabolism (IGM) were excluded. Patient discharge summaries were reviewed over a 5-month period before and a 5-week period after two simple interventions: first, a targeted educational session for EM staff and second, modifications to the automated message accompanying laboratory results. RESULTS: Before intervention, the GPs of 120 out of 178 patients received no notification of an elevated RVPG compared with 23 of 62 patients after intervention (P < 0.00001). Notification met a predefined standard in 25 of 178 patients before, and 34 of 62 patients after intervention (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: EM staff education, together with an automated laboratory message, significantly improved the rate and quality of notification of elevated RVPG levels to GPs. These simple measures have the potential to hasten implementation of preventive and therapeutic measures in patients with IGM.

Medical care at the Sweetwaters Music Festival.

AIMS: To describe medical cover and medical presentations at the four-day 1999 Sweetwaters Music Festival, and make comparisons with other festivals. METHODS: All medical contacts were counted, and patients presenting to the medical tent were included in the study. Case records were studied to determine demographic data, nature of complaint, treatment and disposition. A Medline literature search was performed to obtain information on other festivals. RESULTS: There were 2,231 medical contacts overall (8.9% of estimated attendees) and 217 presentations to the medical tent (0.9% of estimated attendees). 53% of patients presenting to the medical tent were men and the mean patient age was 25 years. Lacerations (16%), intoxication (13%), local infections (12%) and soft tissue injuries (9%) were the most common problems. There were no deaths or cardiac arrests. CONCLUSION: Problems encountered were similar to other music festivals, with minor injuries predominant.