Appropriate pain assessment tools for use in patients with dementia in the out-of-hospital environment

Defining pain is complex; however, it is generally agreed to be an unpleasant, emotive and personal experience (Briggs, 2010; Steeds, 2013). Pain is generally split into two categories: nociceptive...

Is diazepam or lorazepam the most effective benzodiazepine for use in paramedic management of convulsive seizures in adults?

The focus of this review is to compare benefits of diazepam and lorazepam in the pre-hospital care setting. As there is limited evidence, the search criteria were widened to allow data from other...

Pre-hospital risk stratification using a modified thrombolysis in myocardial infarction score: a retrospective medical record review

A retrospective medical record review was conducted using an established methodological approach (Gearing et al, 2006)..

Physical Examination Procedures for Advanced Practitioners and Non-Medical Prescribers

Paramedics may be forgiven for having their attention drawn to the subheading of this book and find themselves stirred into a well-versed mantra on the benefits of prescribing for paramedics. But for...

The Brexit threat to emergency services

New year's resolutions: understanding conduct and ethics for students

Fit to practise: does more need to be done to improve the health and wellbeing of paramedics?

The physically strenuous nature of a paramedic's job calls for high levels of physical fitness in order to maintain their ability to work, and to stay healthy. Sterud et al (2006) conducted a...

Hyperacute stroke unit training for paramedics

A dedicated stroke training course for paramedics was developed by a multidisciplinary working party, comprising healthcare professionals (from stroke clinician backgrounds) and educationalists, to...

Involving adults who lack capacity in research: ethical and legal challenges for the pre-hospital and emergency medicine context

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) took force in 2007; the long-awaited legislation that addressed the legal lacuna regarding decisions made on behalf of adults deemed unable to consent for...

An overview of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Each year approximately 6,000 new cases of HIV are diagnosed within the United Kingdom, adding to over 100,000 people who are known to be living with HIV (Skingsley et al, 2015; Terrence Higgins...

Book Review

Paramedics may be forgiven for having their attention drawn to the subheading of this book and find themselves stirred into a well-versed mantra on the benefits of prescribing for paramedics. But for...