The Medical journal of Australia
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A 15-year-old male passenger in a motor vehicle accident was transfused 15 units of blood products and 8.5 litres of polygeline while still trapped in the wreckage. This and other advanced interventions at the scene contributed to the patient's survival. This first case report of massive prehospital transfusion highlights some of the advantages of senior physician staffed emergency medical services in the prehospital phase of trauma management.
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To determine plasma homocysteine levels in indigenous Australians living in urban areas, and the relationship of these levels with other risk factors in this population. ⋯ These data indicate that the high plasma levels of homocysteine of Australian indigenous subjects are associated with a history of vascular disease, and correlated with, among other things, smoking, and folate and vitamin B12 nutritional deficiency. These are potentially reversible risk factors, and our data suggest that focusing public health initiatives on these issues may reduce the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease in the Australian indigenous population.