Emergencies in General Practice
Head injuries in children are a frequent presentation to Australian general practice and emergency departments, ranging in severity from minor to life-threatening.
Critical and time-sensitive management decisions need to be made, and consequently this can be a challenging presentation to manage in general practice.
But evidence-based support is at hand. In April 2021, the PREDICT Australian and New Zealand Guideline for Mild to Moderate Head Injuries in Children (PREDICT Guideline) was published to provide the most accurate guidance for clinicians in the acute care setting.
While developed primarily for management in the ED, it has relevance for triage, imaging, management and after-care in general practice. It includes a simple to follow algorithm for imaging and observation decision-making, recommendations on follow-up, and even advice on limiting post-head injury screen time.
Paediatric head injuries are just one of a broad range of emergency presentations that not infrequently crop up in general practice. While many are less severe and can be managed in the general practice setting, others need urgent assessment, management and secondary care referral.
To put it into perspective, the rate of referral to A&E was estimated at 2.7 per 1,000 encounters (2012 GP data), and 1 per 200 problems managed (2019 GP registrar data). The most common reasons for ED referral include chest pain, abdominal pain, and fractures.
It follows that GPs must remain competent in the initial management of common emergency presentations. To meet this need, Medcast have redeveloped their educational program, 'Emergencies in General Practice', for delivery in September 2021. The interactive four-part webinar series will be delivered by experienced GP medical educators, covering a breadth of important topics ranging from paediatric bumps and breaks to arrythmias. And many things in between.
At Medcast, we take great pride in being high quality, independent of external influence and directly relevant to practising GPs. This course will be no different.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Register here: https://medcast.com.au/courses/403
Dr Simon Morgan
Simon is a GP and Medical Educator based in Newcastle, NSW.
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