Emergency Medicine Foundation

21/08/2025

🩸Same bleed, Different Treatment?

A recent EMF-supported study led by Dr Akmez Latona reviewed viscoelastic haemostatic assay (VHA)-guided Major Haemorrhage Protocols (MHPs) across all hospitals using VHA in Queensland and found significant variation in how patients with the same bleeding profiles are treated.

Key findings include:
- Different transfusion thresholds between hospitals
- Variable doses of blood products despite similar clot profiles
- Differences in ROTEM and TEG use and interpretation

These inconsistencies highlight a clear opportunity: a unified, consistent approach to VHA protocols could strengthen patient blood management and outcomes across Queensland.

🧪 Curious about the full study and what this means for emergency care?

Check out the full study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tme.70003

Authors: Akmez Latona, James Winearls, Kate Hill, Michelle Spanevello, Biswadev Mitra

West Moreton Health

19/08/2025

We’re proud to celebrate the achievements of our EMF community! 🎉

Congratulations to EMF Board Director A/Prof Viet Tran, EMF Research Committee member A/Prof Amanda Neil, EMF Research Evaluation Panel members Dr Maria Unwin, Prof Dev Mitra, Prof Simon Craig and their colleagues on a new publication in Emergency Medicine Australasia.

The paper presents the Implementing Clinical Pathways for Acute Care in Tasmania (IMPACT) project — a statewide initiative to co-design and test strategies for four key pathways: suspected stroke, suspected sepsis, chest pain, and fractured neck of femur. Using mixed methods, the team will assess current practice, explore variation, co-design solutions with clinicians, and evaluate their feasibility, sustainability, and economic value to help bridge the research-to-practice gap.

We look forward to their findings and the opportunity to explore how these insights can inform the Queensland context, recognising the critical role of research translation in improving patient outcomes.

Read the publication here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1742-6723.70119?campaign=woletoc

Authors: Viet Tran, Amanda Neil, Sarah Prior, Emma Tavender, Maria Unwin, Simone Page, Jan Radford, James E. Sharman, Biswadev Mitra, Jim Stankovich, Giles Barrington, Ashley Loughman, Simon Brown, Graeme Zosky, Anthony J. Lawler, Simon Craig

18/08/2025

Our newest EMF Research Newsletter is here!

It’s full of inspiring stories, a funding announcement and real-world research making a difference.

This edition spotlights the Logan Hospital ED team who received a Research Capacity Building grant in Round 43 of EMF’s Queensland Research Program. The grant will support local clinicians to lead research, while fostering a culture of curiosity and collaboration at Logan ED.

Also in this issue:
- R43 Funding Announcement: 18 new grants
- Emerge Spotlight: social worker-led study on homelessness and suicidality in ED
- Publication in focus: safer paediatric transfers with the PaNURAMA tool
- ACEM ASM 2025: coming to Queensland

Find out more in the newsletter: https://comms.emfoundation.org.au/v/111266/1014186/email.html?k=layOqniNcNxhF4mfnibRXNkbDUhDeP4h_3XVU2gA8Dk

Read the full story about Logan ED: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/logan-ed-building-research-capacity/

14/08/2025

Improving Diagnosis of Appendicitis in Children

Appendicitis is one of the most common surgical emergencies in children yet predicting which young patients need surgery remains a challenge in emergency departments.

SPASMS, the Study of Paediatric Appendicitis Scores and Management Strategies, is an international study led by Perth Children’s Hospital involving Australia and New Zealand EDs within the PREDICT research network.

Dr Natalie Phillips, Director of Paediatric Emergency Research Unit at Queensland Children’s Hospital, is leading the Queensland arm of the study with support from an EMF co-funded project grant.

The multicentre study is recruiting children aged 5-17 presenting with abdominal pain to assess the accuracy of various clinical prediction scores in diagnosing appendicitis. By analysing real-time ED data, including clinician impressions and patient outcomes, the research team aims to identify which tools most effectively guide diagnosis and decision-making.

The study protocol outlining research design, methods and objectives, has now been published in JMIR Research Protocols, laying the groundwork for future analysis and the potential for earlier, more targeted care for children at risk.

Read the full protocol: https://doi.org/10.2196/67941

Authors: Wei Hao Lee, Sharon O'Brien, Elizabeth J Mckinnon, Simon Craig, Stuart Dalziel, Michael Collin, Natalie Phillips, Franz E Babl, Sarah Julia Davidson, Shane George, Shefali Jani, Doris Tham, Viet Tran, Meredith L Borland

12/08/2025

🎡 Happy Ekka Day, Brisbane! 🎡

The EMF team will be out of office on Wednesday 13 August for the Ekka Public Holiday.

We’ll be back on Thursday, ready to continue supporting emergency medicine research.

Enjoy the holiday (and maybe a strawberry sundae or two)! 🍓✨

11/08/2025

Improving care for kids with rare immune conditions 🩺

Children with Primary Immune Deficiency (PID) often present to EDs with fever, yet there is little research, clinical guidance and clinician knowledge to support appropriate management of these patients.

Supported by an EMF Emerge Grant, paediatric nurse Samantha Ryan at Queensland Children’s Hospital conducted a two-phase investigation: a scoping review identifying gaps in research and a retrospective review of nine years of paediatric ED presentations.

📊 Of the 126 presentations meeting inclusion criteria, 27.8% received no immediate treatment during the ED visit. More than half of all presentations did not receive immunology consultation during their ED visit, despite 70% of admitted patients having a complex medical history.

These findings revealed variation in care, delays in recognising high-risk PID children and inconsistent management practices. This highlights the need for improved awareness, risk recognition and triage practices to ensure timely, appropriate care for this high-risk group where delays can have serious consequences. In response, a new ED workplace instruction is being developed in partnership with immunology and nursing teams to improve triage and treatment of febrile PID patients.

💡 Thinking about your own research idea? EMF’s Emerge Grants are designed to help early-career emergency clinicians take that first step. With up to $10,000 in funding and mentoring support, it’s a chance to turn clinical questions into research that can change practice.

📌 Applications for Emerge close on 15 September: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/emerge-grants/

📚 Publication https://doi.org/10.1016/j.auec.2025.06.009

Authors: Samantha Ryan, Elizabeth Forster, Anna Sullivan, Natalie Phillips, Bronwyn Griffin

Children's Health Queensland

07/08/2025

We’re thrilled to see the patient impact of EMF-funded research brought to life in this post by Metro South Health.

The SUPERB Trial, led by Dr Henry Tsao at Redland Hospital, found that ultrasound-guided supraclavicular blocks are just as effective as Bier blocks for managing pain during forearm fracture reductions in the ED.

As Metro South’s story shows, this technique is already making a difference for patients like Joyce—providing longer-lasting pain relief and reducing the need for stronger medications like morphine.

📌 This is a fantastic example of research translating into better care at the bedside—exactly what EMF is here to support.

Read more about the SUPERB Trial: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1742-6723.70069

A new clinical trial at Redland Hospital is helping to improve recovery and reduce pain for patients like Joyce Emery. 💗

Using an ultrasound-guided nerve block, doctors can safely numb the arm for longer-lasting pain relief compared to traditional methods.

Dr Henry Tsao said it’s a valuable option when other techniques aren’t suitable.

"Because pain relief lasts longer and is more effective, patients may need fewer strong painkillers like morphine," he said.

Joyce recently returned to the hospital’s fracture clinic saying she was very happy with her treatment, adding "all the doctors have been lovely." 🥰

06/08/2025

Meet Professor Bronwyn Griffin: Australia’s leading paediatric emergency nurse researcher, valued EMF reviewer and expert mentor in EMF’s Queensland Research Program! 🙌

Bronwyn plays a pivotal role as a mentor on EMF’s Emerge Grants, sharing her knowledge and experience to guide clinicians through their research journey.

With expertise in paediatric emergency nursing, she currently mentors two Emerge Grant recipients: Samantha Ryan, whose work is improving emergency care for children with rare immune conditions, and Amelia Batty, who is exploring how communication in ED waiting rooms can be improved for children and their families.

🗨️ “It’s so rewarding to help the next generation of emergency nursing leaders bring their ideas to life for the benefit of children and families," Bronwyn shares.

In addition to her work with EMF, Bronwyn is Deputy Head of School, Research at Griffith University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) Research Committee, and a current NHMRC Investigator (EL2) Grant holder.

🚨 Round 44 of EMF’s Queensland Research Program, the final round of 2025, closes soon. This is your chance to apply for grants tailored to Queensland clinicians at every stage of their research journey, with the guidance of expert mentorship.

📌 Learn more and apply now: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

📅 Applications close 18 August (15 September for Emerge)

EMF thanks the Queensland Government for funding this program through Queensland Health.

05/08/2025

Making history in emergency care research! 👏

Round 43 of EMF’s Queensland Research Program marks a major milestone in supporting diverse, clinician-led research across Queensland.

Brooke Charters, who was the first nurse to receive an EMF grant as Principal Investigator in 2018, now leads our first-ever TranslatED Research grant, joining our first pharmacist and podiatrist recipients, along with a record number of Emerge applicants in Round 43.

🗨️ Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Tim Nicholls MP extended his congratulations to the grant recipients. “These grants will ensure both established and up-and-coming researchers get the backing they need to advance clinical improvements and drive efficiencies here in Queensland, and potentially, nationally or even internationally.”

In this round we’ve awarded $1.29 million to 18 innovative projects led by nurses, doctors, paramedics, and allied health clinicians, tackling challenges in emergency and prehospital care.

We’re especially proud to support Research Capacity Building grants, supporting four services across urban, outer-metropolitan, statewide and retrieval settings: Logan Hospital, Queensland Children’s Hospital, the Royal Flying Doctor Service - Queensland Section, and LifeFlight.

📌 Meet the recipients and learn more about the research projects funded in Round 43: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/round-43-outcomes/

📅 Applications for Round 44 are open. Find out more here: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

We thank the Queensland Government through Queensland Health for funding the Queensland Research Program.


Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS)
Metro North Health
Metro South Health
Gold Coast Health
Sunshine Coast Health
West Moreton Health

04/08/2025

Research Role Opportunity at Robina ED! 💡

Are you a nurse passionate about research and emergency care?

Gold Coast Health is recruiting a part-time Nurse Researcher to join Robina Hospital’s Emergency Department under an EMF-funded Research Capacity Building Grant, led by Adjunct Professor Julia Crilly.

🗨️ "This role is about helping turn great ideas into evidence that changes practice and informs policy,” shared Adj/Prof Crilly.

This is an exciting opportunity to support and shape research that directly improves emergency care for patients and clinicians at Robina ED.

📅 Applications close: 8 August

📌Find out more: https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au/jobs/QLD-GC650084

01/08/2025

Happy official birthday to all the horses in the Southern Hemisphere! 🐎🎉

Yes, there really is a day for everything! And what better time to spotlight an EMF-funded study focused on improving emergency care for horse-related injuries led by Kym Roberts, Clinical Research Nurse and Research Manager at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

From falls and kicks to crush injuries, these incidents may be rare, but they can have serious, lasting impacts, especially in regional areas. This important research is analysing emergency department data and patient outcomes to help inform better prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies.

We’re proud to support this research and look forward to the positive impact it will have on patient care and injury prevention.👏

💡Do you have your own research idea? Round 44 of the Queensland Research Program is open for applications!

📌 Find out more: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/queensland-research-program/

Sunshine Coast Health

30/07/2025

Trauma Care Scholarships: Applications Close 18 August! 🚨

Are you a Queensland-based emergency clinician passionate about improving trauma care in rural, regional or remote areas, and ready to build your research skills to make it happen?

Meet Roberta Ridolfi, Clinical Nurse Educator at Retrieval Services Queensland and one of our newest scholarship recipients. Roberta recently began the Emergency Medicine Research Course, delivered by Monash University and The Alfred Emergency & Trauma Centre, thanks to EMF’s Trauma Care Scholarship Program. 🎓

With experience supporting rural clinicians and contributing to EMF-funded trauma research, Roberta is focused on driving real-world improvements in care:

🗨️ “My ultimate goal is to drive meaningful improvements in rural trauma care, ensuring clinicians have the tools and training to provide high-quality, evidence-based care closer to home.”

This semester-long course equips clinicians the skills to design and lead research that makes a difference. Applicants must nominate a mentor, either their own or from a list of experienced researchers at the Jamieson Trauma Institute.

📌 Apply now: https://emergencyfoundation.org.au/trauma-care/

EMF thanks the Motor Accident Insurance Commission (MAIC) for its support in delivering this program.

The Alfred Queensland Health