Essentials 1 Neurological injury is common following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and carries a high rate of morbidity and mortality. 2 Successful resuscitation leads to reperfusion of an ischaemic brain, and this may result in biochemical cascades, largely mediated by calcium…
Essentials 1 The value of arterial blood gas analysis is dependent on understanding and correctly interpreting the results in the clinical context. 2 When abnormalities are detected with arterial blood gas analysis, make sure that the sample was obtained, transported…
Essentials 1 Early recognition and intervention in the emergency department reduces mortality in patients with sepsis and septic shock. 2 Appropriate broad-spectrum antibiotics should be administered within 1 hour of the recognition of sepsis. 3 Systemic blood pressure, serum lactate…
Essentials 1 Broad categories of shock include disorders of intravascular volume, vascular resistance, cardiac filling and the myocardial pump. Overlapping aetiologies are commonly encountered. 2 Hypotension is only one characteristic of shock, which should be considered a late and concerning…
Essentials 1 Haemodynamic monitoring includes observation of the complex physiology of blood flow, with the aim of providing data that can be used to improve patient management and outcomes. 2 Numerous methods are available that should be considered in a…
Essentials 1 Oxygen is the most frequently used ‘drug’ in emergency medicine. 2 Oxygen-delivery systems may be divided into variable-performance (delivering a variable concentration of oxygen) and fixed-performance (delivering a fixed concentration of oxygen, including systems that deliver 100% oxygen)…
Essentials 1 Respiratory failure is a common presentation to the emergency department and ventilatory support may be required. 2 Non-invasive ventilation is appropriate for many patients with respiratory failure; endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation is used for cases where non-invasive…
Essentials 1 Follow the Advanced Life Support (ALS) resuscitation guidelines developed by, or based on, those of the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR). 2 Perform chest compressions without interruption for patients with no pulse, except when performing essential ALS…
Essentials 1 A patient with sudden out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) requires activation of the Chain of Survival, which includes early high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early defibrillation. The emergency medical dispatcher plays a crucial and central role in this process.…
Key Concepts Tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) facilitates the overall success and safety of law enforcement missions during all phases of a tactical operation through the delivery of preventive, urgent, and emergency medical care. A fundamental principle in tactical medicine…