Emergency medicine journal : EMJ
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The role of ambulance clinicians in providing psychosocial care in major incidents and emergencies is recognised in recent Department of Health guidance. The study described in this paper identified NHS professional first responders' needs for education about survivors' psychosocial responses, training in psychosocial skills, and continuing support. ⋯ Ambulance clinicians recognise their own education needs and the importance of their being offered psychosocial training and support. The authors recommend that, in order to meet patients' psychosocial needs effectively, ambulance clinicians are provided with education and training in a number of skills and their own psychosocial support should be enhanced.
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We sought to quantify knowledge and attitudes regarding automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) among university students. We also aimed to determine awareness of the location of an actual AED on campus. ⋯ This study found that most students at an American university can identify CPR and AEDs, but do not understand their basic mechanisms of action or are willing to perform CPR or use AEDs unassisted. Recent CPR/AED training and 9-1-1 assistance increases comfort. The most common fear reported was incorrect CPR or AED use. Almost all students could not recall where an AED was located in a student centre.
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To establish the efficacy of 2% viscous lignocaine in increasing oral intake in children with painful infectious mouth conditions compared with placebo. ⋯ Viscous lignocaine is no better than a flavoured gel placebo in improving oral intake in children with painful infectious mouth ulcers.
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Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) in childhood causes long term neurodisability and death, though early neurosurgical intervention may improve outcome. Primary transfer to a neurosurgical centre reduces the time from initial Emergency Department arrival to performance of time critical procedures. Paediatric trauma and neurosurgery services in England have recently undergone reconfiguration. To assist pre-hospital clinicians in determining the most suitable destination for an injured child a number of trauma triage tools have been developed. We aimed to assess the performance of these tools in identifying children with severe TBI. ⋯ None of the existing paediatric pre-hospital trauma triage tools perform adequately in identifying severe TBI. Given the incidence of severe TBI in this population, and the benefits of appropriate disposition, any such tools subsequently derived should pay particular attention to their performance in regard to severe TBI with particular focus on optimising under triage rates.
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There is limited epidemiological data for allergy Emergency Department (ED) presentations. Following recent launch of NICE guidelines and World Allergy Organisation (WAO) severity descriptions we investigated the epidemiology, management and outcomes of allergy patients presenting to a single ED. ⋯ NICE guidelines were not consistently followed but this did not seem to result in measurable short terms complications. A significant number of patients had a known precipitant.