diagnostics

Diagnostic accuracy of early warning system scores in the prehospital setting

This commentary aims to critically appraise the methods used within the review by Guan et al (2022) and expand upon its findings in the context of clinical practice..

Paramedic decision-making and the influence of bias: a case study

This incident was assigned to us at 22:25, 35 minutes before our shift was due to finish. We were tired, and our desire to finish on time made us acutely aware of how close this was to the end of our...

Emergency primary and secondary systems of assessment

This study aimed to: Describe a system to identify the primary survey positive patientSignpost to guidance on the management of the primary survey positive patientIntroduce the SOAPC system for the...

An essential series on clinical decision-making on scene

The series will endeavour to address the key aspects of emergency and urgent care in the community setting, including an overview of trauma. Topics are set out in Box 1..

Diabetic ketoacidosis in paediatrics: tools to assist in recognition of a sick child

Diabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism resulting from a lack of insulin or a reduction in its biological effects..

Non-medical prescribing by paramedics in emergency, urgent and critical care

In contrast to paramedic practice within primary care settings, advanced paramedics practising in emergency departments and in prehospital settings are more likely to encounter patients who require an...

Understanding right ventricular myocardial infarction in prehospital care

To understand RVMI, it is necessary to look at the function of the right ventricle. According to Gupta et al (2013), the dominance of the coronary artery can be either right, left or balance. A study...

Neurological examination 2

The articles in this series, which can be torn out for use in practice, are intended to support clinician development and to assist in the overall assessment of patient presentations. The information...

How accurate is the prehospital diagnosis of hyperventilation syndrome?

The study included a consecutive series of patients and was similar to a cohort study, which corresponds to a single-gate diagnostic accuracy study design (Rutjes et al, 2005). A retrospective...

Neurological examination

The articles in this series, which can be torn out for use in practice, are intended to support clinician development and to assist in the overall assessment of patient presentations. The information...

Paramedics and pneumonia associated with COVID-19

The lungs have multiple protective mechanisms to prevent lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia. The curved, undulating nature of the upper airways creates a great deal of turbulence in...

The new coronavirus disease: what do we know so far?

As of 7 April 2020, there were more than 1 270 000 diagnosed cases of COVID-19 worldwide and over 68 000 confirmed fatalities (WHO, 2020b). At the same time, in the UK, there was a cumulative total of...