International emergency nursing
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Although acts of threats and violence are problems that have received increased attention in recent years within Swedish pre-hospital care, only a handful of scientific studies have been carried out in this field. Threats and violence have a negative influence on the well-being of ambulance personnel. The aim in this study was both to investigate the incidents of threats and violence within the Swedish ambulance service and to describe these situations. ⋯ Commonly occurring physical violence was in the form of pushes, punches, kicks and bites. In most cases, the perpetrator was the patient himself often under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The most serious situations occurred when the reason for raising the ambulance alarm was intoxication or a decreased level of consciousness.
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The focus of this research study was to ascertain the impact of crime on individuals, who presented with an injury to the emergency department. Given the high prevalence of crime in our society today, victims of crime are identified as a growing patient population seeking help in emergency departments. To maximise holistic care for these patients it is important that healthcare professionals gain insight into the experience of being a victim of crime. ⋯ Unseen is the potential psychological sequelae of the assault. Pivotal to these findings is the absence of psychological follow-up support for these victims of crime. This study affords healthcare professionals working in the emergency department, the opportunity to reflect upon current practice and highlight the value of their role in the provision of optimal care for this patient population.
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Management of battlefield casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan has seen considerable development in damage control resuscitation, which aims to address the risk of haemorrhage, initially due to mechanical damage; and thereafter due to the development of life-threatening coagulopathy. Damage control resuscitation combines a variety of techniques, such as the use of the combat application tourniquet and novel haemostatics, through to ground-breaking developments in transfusion protocols. ⋯ Meticulous trauma audit is included in this process and has allowed for rapid translation of knowledge into practice. The main elements of this doctrine are described.
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Previous parts to this series on thoracic and neck trauma discussed the anatomy and physiology of the thorax, assessment and initial nursing interventions, imaging and adjuncts to diagnosis. Part 2 described specific chest wall and lung injuries, types of pneumothoraces and their diagnosis and management. Section 3 examined other types of thoracic injuries and their management, such as trauma to the diaphragm and heart. This final part provides a brief but concise overview of neck anatomy, trauma and management.
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To provide a critical review of research on clinical handover between the ambulance service and emergency department (ED) in hospitals. ⋯ Knowledge gaps exist concerning handover information, consequences of poor handover, transfer of responsibility, staff perception of handovers, staff training and evaluation of recommended strategies to improve clinical handover. Evidence of strategies being implemented and further research is required to examine the ongoing effects of implementing the strategies.