African Journal of Emergency Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Perceived support needs of novice nurses working in emergency departments of selected public hospitals in Tshwane, South Africa","authors":"Kapari Mashao,&nbsp;Celia Filmalter,&nbsp;Tanya Heyns","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Patients present with diverse healthcare needs in emergency departments, necessitating nurses to have diverse clinical competencies to function effectively. Novice nurses in emergency departments may be ill-equipped to handle responsibilities and workload, necessitating adequate support for a smooth transition. However, providing practical support requires a comprehensive understanding of support needs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This descriptive qualitative study investigated the perceived support needs of novice nurses working in emergency departments. Fifteen participants were purposively selected from three selected public hospitals in Tshwane, South Africa. Semi structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted between September and November 2023. The interviews were audio-recorded, and the transcripts were thematically analysed via ATLASti Version 24.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three key themes emerged to support the transition of novice nurses in emergency departments: a dedicated orientation programme, a dedicated preceptor, and a supportive culture to facilitate the transition to emergency departments. A dedicated orientation programme encompasses essential components, including emergency equipment, triage, basic life support skills, admission and treatment protocols, and specific competencies. The participants emphasised the value of dedicated preceptors, trained and experienced professionals who offer guidance, feedback and remedial support. Additionally, the importance of a supportive culture, particularly one that fosters a positive learning environment and provides emotional support to ease the transition process, was highlighted.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The successful transition of novice nurses in emergency departments is a cost-effective way of improving job satisfaction and retention. However, novice nurses working in emergency departments have diverse support needs. Thus, ensuring a successful transition requires understanding these nurses’ support needs. This study revealed that establishing a structured orientation programme, assigning trained preceptors and fostering a supportive culture are critical in facilitating the successful transition of novice nurses to emergency departments. These strategies can address novice nurses’ support needs by improving competence and patient care outcomes and promoting confidence, emotional well-being, job satisfaction and retention. Realising the support needs of novice nurses may inform the development of evidence-based transition interventions that offer support in specific ED contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100889"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of the WHO/ICRC Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course on nurses’ knowledge, confidence, and competence in Primary Health Care facilities in Gauteng, South Africa","authors":"Meghan Botes ,&nbsp;Lauren Lai King ,&nbsp;Robert Holliman ,&nbsp;Santel de Lange ,&nbsp;Simon Isabwe Tumusiime ,&nbsp;Mahlomola Kutoane ,&nbsp;Dylan Quiroga ,&nbsp;Petra Brysiewicz","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Primary health care (PHC) nurses handle preventative care and emergencies, despite the latter not being their focus. Upskilling in basic emergency care is essential as PHC facilities serve as the first point of care. The World Health Organization and International Committee of the Red Cross developed a Basic Emergency Care (BEC) course, but its suitability for Gauteng PHC nursing staff remains unknown. This study assessed the BEC course's impact on nurses' knowledge, confidence, and competence in emergency care at selected Gauteng PHC facilities.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A pre-post intervention design was used with purposive sampling of eighty-six nurses who completed the BEC course from three emergency departments. Data collection occurred April-June 2024. Knowledge, confidence and competence were assessed using pre- and post-course surveys and knowledge tests, plus a final evaluation with 6 open-ended questions. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and inferential methods to determine statistical significance of observed variations.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The study included <em>N</em> = 86 nurses across various categories. Knowledge scores significantly increased from 55.1% pre-test to 78.8% post-test. Self-perceived competence and confidence improved from 2.72 to 3.54 post-course. ANOVA revealed significant relationships between nurse categories and scores in pre-tests (<em>p</em> = 0.004) and post-tests (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). Post-test confidence also varied significantly between categories (<em>p</em> = 0.046). Content analysis of open-ended responses identified four themes: \"Correcting wrongs\", \"Extremely congested course\", \"Contextual relevance\" and \"Skills update.\"</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>The results highlight significant knowledge gains for all nurses who received BEC training. However, differences in performance between nurse categories suggest a need for further exploration and consideration of how to accommodate different categories of nurses. While nurses found the course highly useful and relevant, content loading and course duration should be considered.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100890"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144680314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Data completeness and quality of emergency triage in Ethiopian public tertiary hospitals: A multicenter study","authors":"Woldesenbet Waganew ,&nbsp;Ayalew Zewde ,&nbsp;Sisay Yifru Abera ,&nbsp;Menbau Sultan ,&nbsp;Temesgen Beyene ,&nbsp;Tesfaye Getachew ,&nbsp;Bethelehem Tebebe ,&nbsp;Zelalem Getahun ,&nbsp;Daniel Alemu ,&nbsp;Esubalew Gobegnew ,&nbsp;Etsegent Aklog ,&nbsp;Tigist Bacha ,&nbsp;Sisay Teklu ,&nbsp;Aklilu Azazh ,&nbsp;Asefu W∕Tsadik","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Triage is a system of ranking sick or injured persons according to their severity. Its data is critical for evidence-based action. The aim of this study was to assess the quality and completeness of emergency department triage tool in three tertiary Ethiopian public hospitals.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>This study utilized a multicenter cross-sectional design with sample size estimation calculated using a single population proportion formula. Data were collected from multiple sites and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25. All statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate the completeness of triage documentation.</div></div><div><h3>Result</h3><div>In a review of 450 client charts from three tertiary hospitals providing acute care, the completeness of triage data varied. Patient name, age, and gender were documented with a completeness of 79.1 %, 77.5 %, and 70.8 %, respectively. The cumulative analysis of the triage early warning score showed, highest recorded completeness was for heart rate (98.4 %), followed closely by respiratory rate (96.0 %). However, significant discrepancies were noted in other areas, such as systolic blood pressure, which had an overall completeness of 87.7 %. Temperature assessment was notably poor, with a cumulative completeness of only 59.3 %. Other parameters, including mobility and AVPU/CNS assessments, showed completeness of 86.4 % each.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study identifies significant inconsistencies in triage documentation completeness across three Ethiopian hospitals, highlighting an urgent need for interventions. Standardized triage scales and continuous professional development focusing on documentation are crucial to enhance patient safety and optimize care delivery.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100888"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631680","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Health research abstracts: May '25","authors":"Jonathan Kajjimu","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The African Journal of Emergency Medicine, in partnership with several other regional emergency medicine journals, publishes abstracts from each respective journal. Abstracts are not necessarily linked to open access papers however, all abstracts are accessible without subscription.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100885"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535044","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review and meta-analysis of noradrenaline compared to adrenaline in the management of septic shock","authors":"Trudy D Leong ,&nbsp;Rephaim Mpofu ,&nbsp;Sumaya Dadan ,&nbsp;Karen Cohen ,&nbsp;Halima Dawood ,&nbsp;Tamara Kredo ,&nbsp;Andy Parrish ,&nbsp;Marc Blockman ,&nbsp;P. Dean Gopalan","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Background: Septic shock is associated with significant mortality. The International Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines recommend noradrenaline as first-line vasopressor, whilst South African guidelines recommend adrenaline. Clinical trials show similar efficacy but suggest safety advantages for noradrenaline. We reviewed the evidence comparing noradrenaline and adrenaline in the initial management of adult patients with septic shock.</div><div>Methods: We searched PubMed, Epistemonikos, Cochrane Library, and clinical trial registries for clinical practice guidelines, health technology assessments, and systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) through July 2024. We appraised these using AGREE II and AMSTAR 2 tools and assessed eligible RCTs extracted from systematic reviews with Cochrane's Risk of Bias 2.0 Tool. We estimated random-effects rate ratios (RR) and mean differences (MD) with 95 % confidence intervals and rated certainty of evidence using GRADE. Key outcomes included mortality, time to shock reversal, and adverse effects. (PROSPERO: CRD42022368373).</div><div>Results: We identified three guidelines, one systematic review, from which five RCTs were extracted. Comparing adrenaline to noradrenaline, we found little to no difference in mortality (RR 0.99, 0.83 to 1.18), time to improvement of mean arterial pressure (MD 7.17 min, -16.74 to 31.08), vasopressor-free days (MD -0.05 days, -4.07 to 3.96), or dysrhythmias (RR 0.92, 0.59 to 1.45). Change in lactate concentrations 24 h after resuscitation was lower for noradrenaline than adrenaline. The certainty of evidence was assessed as low to very low.</div><div>Conclusion: Adrenaline and noradrenaline are associated with similar outcomes in managing septic shock. The choice of vasopressor should be based on availability, patient population, and cost.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100881"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144516976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Alphachloralose intoxication: A retrospective study on epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management in an adult emergency department in Morocco","authors":"El Mehdi Samali ,&nbsp;Abdelghafour El Koundi ,&nbsp;Amine Meskine ,&nbsp;Hicham Balkhi ,&nbsp;Mohammed Moussaoui","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Alphachloralose, initially used as a hypnotic and anesthetic, is now restricted to rodenticides. Despite limited medical use, it remains accessible in North Africa, contributing to intentional poisonings. Poisoning primarily presents with neurological and respiratory symptoms, posing a significant public health concern. This study describes the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of alphachloralose poisoning cases admitted to the adult emergency department of a university hospital in Casablanca, Morocco.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective study analyzed emergency department records for alphachloralose poisoning cases from October 2022 to June 2023. Poisoning was confirmed based on clinical presentation, witness accounts, and/or biological toxicological evidence. Data on demographics, exposure circumstances, clinical features, interventions, and outcomes were extracted. Severity was evaluated using the Poisoning Severity Score (PSS), grading the severity into five levels from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (fatal). Hospital stay duration and complications were also assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Some 53 cases were included, with mean age of patients 27 years, and a male-to-female ratio of 0.83. Suicidal ingestion accounted for the vast majority of cases (98 %). Alphachloralose was exclusively ingested in powdered form, as no other formulations are available in Morocco. Neurological and respiratory disturbances were the most common clinical manifestations, with 28 % of cases classified as severe according to the PSS. Gastric lavage was performed in 52.8 % of cases, benzodiazepines were administered in 54 %, and 39.6 % of patients required intubation. The median time to admission to intensive care was 5 h. The average duration of hospitalization was 2.4 ± 1.2 days. Although one fatality occurred, 98 % of cases recovered fully without complications, emphasizing the importance of early and appropriate management.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Alphachloralose poisoning is a significant toxicological concern in North Africa due to its availability and misuse. Severe symptoms are frequent, but early intervention leads to favorable outcomes. Public health measures focusing on regulation and education are essential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100887"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Health research abstracts: June ‘25","authors":"Jonathan Kajjimu","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100886","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The African Journal of Emergency Medicine, in partnership with several other regional emergency medicine journals, publishes abstracts from each respective journal. Abstracts are not necessarily linked to open access papers however, all abstracts are accessible without subscription.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100886"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144364723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics and outcomes of children initiated on high flow nasal cannula and continuous positive airway pressure at the emergency centre of a district hospital in South Africa","authors":"Jessica Head ,&nbsp;Andrew Redfern ,&nbsp;Jana Hoole ,&nbsp;Liezl Ulbrich ,&nbsp;Refilwe More ,&nbsp;Daniël J. van Hoving ,&nbsp;Eric D. McCollum ,&nbsp;Shubhada Hooli","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.100884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>High-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and continuous positive airway pressure delivered via a nasal interface (nCPAP) are increasingly used for paediatric emergency care in South Africa. In Cape Town, initiation of HFNC/nCPAP at a district hospital, in most instances, necessitates transfer to a paediatric high-care facility. We sought to describe the population of children initiated on HFNC/nCPAP and their short-term hospital outcomes post interfacility transfer.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The authors conducted a one-year retrospective observational study between August 1st 2021, to July 31st^, 2022 of children initiated on HFNC or nCPAP in the emergency centre (EC) of Khayelitsha district Hospital and transferred by ambulance to Tygerberg Hospital paediatric emergency centre. Children were excluded from the study if they were &lt;10 days or &gt;13 years of age, if they had an advanced care plan that restricted the escalation of respiratory support or if their medical records were incomplete.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>At Khayelitsha Hospital, 117 patients were initiated on HFNC (<em>n</em> = 58) or nCPAP (<em>n</em> = 59). Participants had a median age of 6.8 months. There were no major adverse events reported during inter-facility transfer. Respiratory support was weaned to low flow oxygen or room air within 24 h of transfer in 23.9 % and escalated in 9.4 %. During hospital stay 14.5 % were admitted to intensive care, 6.0 % ultimately required mechanical ventilation, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 1.7 %.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Roughly a quarter of patients were weaned from respiratory support within 24 h of transfer. Short term outcomes were good overall, demonstrating safe interfacility transfer and low mortality. Further research is needed to inform practice on best use of HFNC and nCPAP in the emergency care of children presenting with acute respiratory illness in South Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100884"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Implementing the Safe Airway Checklist (SAC) at the emergency department of a major teaching hospital in Rwanda: A pre- and post-intervention study","authors":"Joseph Biramahire ,&nbsp;Matthew Pereira ,&nbsp;Appolinaire Manirafasha ,&nbsp;Doris Lorette Uwamahoro ,&nbsp;Jean Paul Mvukiyehe ,&nbsp;Paulin Banguti ,&nbsp;Eugene Tuyishime","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Airway management is a critical aspect of emergency care, and adherence to standardized protocols can improve patient outcomes. However, in resource-limited settings such as Rwanda, the implementation of airway management protocols in the emergency department (ED) may face challenges. This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing the Safe Airway Checklist (SAC) on airway management practices and post-intubation complications in a major teaching hospital in Rwanda.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A pre- and post-intervention study design was used to assess the impact of the SAC on intubation practices and post-intubation checklist in the ED at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali. The study included a baseline assessment of residents’ intubation practices, followed by implementation of the SAC, and post-implementation data collection to evaluate changes in adherence to airway management practices and post-intubation complications.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among 77 intubation (40 pre-intervention and 37 post-intervention), the implementation of the SAC led to improvement in 4 key airway management practices (airway cart and glidescope setup, premedication use, restraining patients, and checking ABG within 10–15 min) in the ED. However, the reduction in rates of post-intubation complications was not statistically significant.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The implementation of the Safe Airway Checklist in the ED of a major teaching hospital in Rwanda significantly improved several critical aspects of airway management. While no statistically significant reduction in post-intubation complications were observed, the decreasing trend of complication rates suggests promising benefits that merit further exploration. These findings highlight the value of standardized checklists in enhancing clinical practices and underscore the need for ongoing research to fully understand their impact on patient outcomes especially in low resources settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100871"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144262512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nurses’ knowledge on trauma and emergency care and associated factors in Ghanaian district hospitals","authors":"Akua K Karikari ,&nbsp;Adam Gyedu ,&nbsp;Isaac Yankson ,&nbsp;Dorcas Doefe Amedzake ,&nbsp;Peter Agyei-Baffour ,&nbsp;Anthony K Edusei ,&nbsp;Peter Donkor ,&nbsp;Charles Mock","doi":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.04.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.afjem.2025.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Nurses’ knowledge of emergency care is a vital component of emergency capabilities. We sought to evaluate the factors that influence the knowledge on trauma and emergency care of nurses in district hospitals in Ghana.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this cross-sectional study, we administered a questionnaire on emergency care to 406 nurses working in 11 (out of 37) randomly-selected district hospitals in the Ashanti Region. This included 10 multiple-choice questions on trauma care and 10 on general medical/surgical emergency care to objectively assess knowledge on emergency care. Analysis involved descriptive statistics, inferential tests comparing tests scores with Student’s <em>t</em>-tests and ANOVA, and multivariable linear regression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Mean overall test score for knowledge was 60.1 % correct (SD 13.7 %). Results were tightly clustered with an inter-quartile range of 50 % to 70 %. Factors influencing the test scores on multivariable linear regression included: (a) gender (male nurses scored an adjusted 3.8 % higher than female nurses, <em>p</em> = 0.015; beta=3.8; 95 %CI 0.7–6.8); and (b) refresher training (nurses who had received refresher training on emergency care scored an adjusted 3.3 % higher than those who had not received such training, <em>p</em> = 0.018; beta=3.3; CI 0.6–6.0). The higher overall scores for male nurses were due solely to higher scores on trauma-related questions. Male nurses scored an average of an adjusted 5.1 % higher on the trauma questions (<em>p</em> = 0.023; beta=5.1; CI 0.7–9.5) than female nurses, but their scores on general emergency care were not significantly different.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Test scores for knowledge on emergency care for nurses working in Ghanaian district hospitals were generally adequate. While gender did influence test scores, the main actionable factor associated with higher test scores was having received refresher training in emergency care. There is a need for greater availability of such continuing professional development for nurses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48515,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Emergency Medicine","volume":"15 3","pages":"Article 100876"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144239989","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}