Paramedics in need of user friendly body armour

There is no doubt that too many paramedics and other front-line professionals are still opposed to wearing stab vests or other forms of body protection, only due to simple misperceptions, often based...

Prehospital management of paediatric supracondylar fractures

A literature search was performed using PubMed and CINAHL Plus®. Key words searched included: ‘paediatrics’, ‘supracondylar fracture’, ‘humeral fracture’, ‘elbow fracture’, ‘compartment syndrome’,...

Paramedic non-technical skills: aviation style behavioural rating systems

Non-technical skills are one defence against error. Flin et al (2008) noted:.

A non-guidelines approach to cardiocerebral resuscitation

Decades of research in our experimental animal resuscitation laboratory revealed that the most important intervention to improve survival of primary cardiac arrest, due to VF, was the early and...

Hypoglycaemia: a case report

A 42-year-old gentleman called 999 after taking an insulin overdose. On arrival at his house, paramedics found him ambulant and conversant, but confused (Glasgow coma scale (GCS) 14/15; Eyes 4/4;...

Paediatric tricyclic antidepressant overdose

At 23:05 pm, a 911 call was placed from a private residence requesting an ambulance for a possible overdose. An advanced life support (ALS) unit was dispatched at 23:06 pm as an urgent request and...

C-spine clearance should not be a pain in the neck

Does prehospital intubation make a difference to survival rates in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?

Meningococcal septicaemia: identification and management by paramedics

The Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) provides resources for health professionals to help diagnose and treat meningitis and septicaemia. Recently, MRF re-launched its life-saving series of...