prehospital

The prescribing paramedic: a pharmacology series

Pharmacology is a key component of undergraduate paramedic programmes. The HCPC (2014) and the College of Paramedics (CoP, 2019) curriculum guidance include pharmacology explicitly in standards and...

Should ascorbic acid be a primary therapy for sepsis in prehospital settings?

The objectives of this review are to: explore the potential value of intravenous ascorbic acid as a primary treatment for sepsis in the prehospital environment; and find out whether it can reduce...

Miscarriage, SUDI and neonatal death: paramedic experience and practice

The literature review was conducted using Google search and focused on paramedic practice and baby loss. The search included a focus on academic papers and books from across the social and medical...

Challenges of SARS-CoV-2 and conflicting PPE guidelines

The early 21st century gave rise to two epidemics: between 2002–2003, a new deadly infectious disease known as SARS emerged, which was a global concern (da Costa et al, 2020). Ten years later in 2012,...

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...

Gastrointestinal system

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...

Respiratory system

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...

Targeted temperature management: beneficial or not?

TTM is not a novel phenomenon, with concepts of hypothermia as a therapeutic measure having been applied historically (Marion et al, 1996). In ancient Greece, the physician Hippocrates favoured...

Cranial nerves: part 1

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...

Clinical suspicion regarding needle decompression for patients with chest trauma

Needle decompression of the chest (also known as thoracocentesis or thoracentesis) is a manoeuvre to release abnormal air from the pleural space. Prehospital needle decompression is only indicated for...

Prehospital emergency anaesthesia: time taken to care for and respond to a critically injured patient

One of the first questions raised when researching PHEA is: what is it best referred to as? The SOP produced by Pinnell and Pountney (2015), followed by the ambulance trust, is so titled, but refers...

Fascia iliaca compartment block: a short how-to guide

FICB is a simple technique, and allows a high quality of analgesia to be given without the side effects of opiate analgesia. FICB is the current gold standard in the management of neck of femur...