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…
The major incident
Chapter 56. The major incident An overview Classification • A simple major incident is one in which the infrastructure of the community in which it occurs remains intact, e.g. a…
Psychiatric emergencies
Chapter 55. Psychiatric emergencies Mentally ill patients may be admitted to hospital involuntarily under the Mental Health Act if they are deemed to be a risk to themselves or to…
Cardiovascular emergencies
Chapter 15. Cardiovascular emergencies Ischaemic heart disease is the most common cardiovascular problem in the UK. Approximately one in four men and one in five women die from the disease….
The uncooperative or violent patient
Chapter 54. The uncooperative or violent patient Ambulance crews are frequently exposed to violent situations and threatening behaviour from patients and bystanders. Ambulance control should communicate to crews any factors…
Substance abuse
Chapter 53. Substance abuse Alcohol dependence Of the UK population, 2% suffer from alcohol dependence syndrome at any time. Dependence is most common in: • Those aged 40–54 years •…
