Active projects
Research designed around real emergency-care problems.
CARBON MONOXIDE
EDCO-D
Reducing delays in carbon monoxide diagnosis in the Emergency Department
EDCO-D is a multicentre retrospective study investigating missed and delayed recognition of carbon monoxide poisoning in emergency departments across the UK and Europe.
Matteo Paganini serves as Principal Investigator.
The study reviews emergency-department records from 2022–2025 to identify elevated carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) levels and assess whether potential carbon monoxide exposure was recognised and documented by clinicians.
EDCO-D has been funded by the Carbon Monoxide Research Trust, a UK charity supporting research to improve awareness, detection, diagnosis and treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, with the aim of reducing preventable deaths and injuries.
Why it matters
Carbon monoxide poisoning can be overlooked because its symptoms resemble those of other conditions. Missed recognition may leave patients at risk of continued exposure. By measuring diagnostic gaps, EDCO-D aims to inform future initiatives to improve recognition and reduce harm.
CLIMATE & EMERGENCY CARE
HEAT-ED TI
Heatwave-related emergency-department demand and resilience in Canton Ticino, Switzerland
HEAT-ED TI investigates how heatwaves impact emergency department attendance and operational efficiency across the Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC) of Canton Ticino, Switzerland.
The project combines local meteorological data with emergency-department activity to identify patterns of heatwave-related demand and support locally calibrated forecasting, with the aim of helping emergency-care services anticipate increased demand during heatwaves.
Why it matters
Anticipating heatwave-related demand can help emergency care prepare and improve its resilience, ultimately contributing to better population health.
ACCESS & TRIAGE
Ve-NEA 1.0
Validation of integrated care pathways linked to the European harmonised number 116117 in Veneto Region, Italy.
This multicentre observational study evaluates how software-led telephone assessment by dispatchers and disposition across the primary and emergency care network align with emergency department presentations.
It also explores why patients attend the ED after being advised to consult primary care and whether integrated pathways can direct people more safely and efficiently to the most appropriate level of care.
Key outcomes to be studied
- Safety of the integrated pathways (prevalence of adverse events)
- Impact on ED attendance
- Comparison between sites that introduced the 116117 number at different times
- Qualitative evaluation of the service among patients attending the ED after contacting 116117
CBRN CONSULTANCY
P98 – EMED
Strengthening CBRN Medical Emergency Preparedness and Response in Southeast Asia.
Matteo Paganini contributes as a Key Expert, providing emergency medicine consultancy for the development of the CBRN training curriculum and medical training programme, and delivering specialist training in CBRN hospital preparedness and response.
P98 is funded by the European Union under its CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative and implemented by the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC). The project supports partner countries in Southeast Asia in strengthening preparedness and response across scene management, prehospital and hospital care, medical emergencies at points of entry and field epidemiology.
Key contributions
- CBRN curriculum development with qualitative methodology (focus group discussions)
- Medical training design
- Training delivery in CBRN hospital preparedness and response
WATER-RELATED MEDICINE
Underwater health and biomedical innovation
In partnership with Gli Amici di Boyle (Friends of Boyle).
The programme aims to connect underwater medicine and physiology with diver safety and clinical telemonitoring. The team’s current collaborative work focuses on the suitability of implantable cardiac devices for underwater and hyperbaric exposure, with two related publications:
- Paganini M, Tarsia L, Bosco G, et al. Technical Suitability of Implantable Cardiac Devices for Recreational Diving. Undersea Hyperb Med. 2025.
- Zerbi S, Tarsia L, Benenati V, et al. Returning to diving and hyperbaric exposure after pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation. Diving Hyperb Med. 2026.
Research signals
- Biomedical device use underwater
- Underwater telemonitoring
- Pulmonary ultrasound in extreme water activities
- Connections between underwater and space medicine
A project is stronger with the right partners.
EDGES is interested in multicentre research, methodological partnerships,
implementation sites and technical collaborations.