Paediatric cardiac arrest
Chapter 37. Paediatric cardiac arrest Introduction Cardiorespiratory arrest in children is a much rarer event than in adults. Unfortunately, the outcome for children is much worse. In children the underlying…
EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Spinal injuries
Chapter 28. Spinal injuries Spinal cord injury may be either complete (i.e. with no motor or sensory function below the level of injury) or incomplete (with partial preservation of sensory…
Neonatal resuscitation and transport
Chapter 52. Neonatal resuscitation and transport Cardiac arrest in a neonate (a baby less than 1 month old) may present from: • A planned home delivery • An unplanned birth…
Bone and joint injuries
Chapter 27. Bone and joint injuries Bone and joint injuries range from the relatively trivial to the life-threatening. The <C>ABC system must be followed. Only when life-threatening injuries have been…
Head injuries
Chapter 23. Head injuries The central nervous system has no stores of oxygen or glucose; if the blood supply is interrupted, depriving the brain of oxygen, consciousness is lost within…
Nuclear and radiation incidents
Chapter 45. Nuclear and radiation incidents In the emergency response to an incident involving radioactivity, the principles of casualty care remain the same: • Rapid assessment • Administration of life-saving…
The sick child
Chapter 36. The sick child Children tend to be treated with a greater sense of urgency than adults. This reflects both the instinct that most adults have to protect the…
The injured child
Chapter 38. The injured child Differences between children and adults Children differ from adults in the following ways: • Size – smaller size means that a child sustains more injuries…
Legal issues
Chapter 59. Legal issues Record-keeping A Patient Report Form (PRF) should be completed for each patient treated and a copy handed over to the receiving hospital. Written records are the…
The Ambulance service at mass gatherings
Chapter 58. The Ambulance service at mass gatherings Casualty estimates Casualty figures reported at mass gatherings range from 0.11 per thousand to 9.0 per thousand. Weather conditions and other factors…
