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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To determine the capability of nurses to identify ventricular fibrillation (VF) and ventricular tachycardia (VT) rhythms on an ECG and carry out subsequent defibrillation on their own as soon as they identify and confirm cardiac arrest. ⋯ Nurses improve in defibrillation decision-making skills and confidence after appropriate brief, focused in-house training.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A comparison of the suction laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope in emergency medical technicians: a manikin model of severe airway haemorrhage.
The use of a suction laryngoscope that enables simultaneous suction and laryngoscopy was evaluated. 34 emergency medical technicians intubated the trachea of a manikin with simulated upper airway haemorrhage using the suction laryngoscope and the Macintosh laryngoscope, in random order. When using the suction laryngoscope, the number of oesophageal intubations was lower (3/34 vs 11/34; p=0.021) and the time taken to intubation was shorter (mean (SD) 50 (15) vs 58 (27) s; p=0.041). In cases of airway haemorrhage, the use of the suction laryngoscope might be beneficial.