Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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To determine how far mountain rescue casualties in the UK have to be carried and the impact of adding a hoist or 'long-line' to helicopters operating in this environment. ⋯ Using the criteria that all casualties requiring a technical rescue or >400 m evacuation route to an appropriate helicopter-landing site, 34% of casualties could have been rescued using a hoist or long-line with an expected reduction in the pre-hospital time. Helicopters working in UK mountain rescue should be equipped to international standards.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Randomised comparison of intravenous paracetamol and intravenous morphine for acute traumatic limb pain in the emergency department.
To compare the clinical effectiveness of intravenous paracetamol with intravenous morphine in patients with moderate to severe traumatic limb pain. ⋯ Intravenous paracetamol appears to provide a level of analgesia comparable to intravenous morphine in isolated limb trauma. Further larger studies are required.
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There is currently concern in the UK that injuries and deaths caused by firearms are increasing. This is supported by small local studies but not by wider research to inform targeted prevention programmes. ⋯ Deaths and serious injuries caused by firearms remain rare in the civilian population of England and Wales, although an upward trend can be described. Victims of assault and homicide are predominantly young men living in urban areas and the population involved is getting younger. However, of all deaths, self-inflicted wounds are nearly twice as common as assaults, affecting predominantly older men living in more rural areas.
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Tracheal intubation is often difficult in the prehospital setting, especially in trapped casualties, when long extrication time is anticipated and conventional laryngoscopy cannot be achieved. The aim of the present study was the comparison of applicability and efficacy of two alternative techniques: intubation using a laryngeal mask airway (ILMA) or an Airtraq laryngoscope in different patient positions, using an airway management manikin. ⋯ These preliminary data in manikins could indicate the applicability of the methods to the prehospital setting.