Journal of accident & emergency medicine
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The organisation of the American emergency health care system has changed rapidly during recent years, but it remains very different to the system in the United Kingdom. American emergency departments are organised around an attending physician based service, rather than a consultant led service. ⋯ The problems associated with working in an attending physician based service include antisocial hours of work, sleep deprivation, decreased job satisfaction, and "burn out," all in the context of a relatively hostile medicolegal climate. Although there appear to be no easy answers to some of these problems, the A&E specialist should be aware of the potential future difficulties for A&E medicine as it develops within the United Kingdom.
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Review Comparative Study
A transatlantic comparison of training in emergency medicine.
The system of training in accident and emergency (A&E) medicine in the United Kingdom is at a critical and much earlier stage of development than in the United States. Transatlantic comparison offers the opportunity to explore possible ways of improving training in the United Kingdom. Comparison revealed deficiencies in the UK training system in the following: prehospital care training, formal theoretical teaching, close supervision in a clinical setting, and in-service training examinations. Implementation of measures designed to address these deficiencies would enhance UK training in A&E medicine.
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Tick bite anaphylaxis has rarely been reported. It may follow the bite of any of the different tick life cycle forms, is related to the release of salivary juices, and may range from mild itch to severe wheeze or shock. ⋯ Emergency physicians should recognise this possibility following a tick bite and be prepared to give treatment such as adrenaline rapidly. Patients should be referred to an allergist after recovery.
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In this article we review the evidence supporting the clinical application of adrenaline in cardiopulmonary arrest, and summarize the receptor effects of catecholamines and the basic principles producing perfusion during CPR. Animal and human studies show that in cardiac arrest, adrenaline has positive haemodynamic effects, increasing systemic pressures, myocardial perfusion, and cerebrally directed flow. The problems extrapolating from animal to human data are highlighted. ⋯ There is no evidence that high doses of adrenaline improve survival to hospital discharge. Most studies comparing adrenaline with placebo have been non-randomised and uncontrolled, with major methodological problems. Conclusions are difficult, but if anything adrenaline is associated with poorer outcomes.