<p>It is estimated that, around the world, cardiac arrest occurs once in every 30,000 pregnancies after the third trimester (Morris and Stacy 2004).</p>
<p>Emergency intubation is typically performed in Clinically unstable patients, and in environments that are less well controlled than operating theatres.</p>
<p>In the UK there are on average four major incidents a year with a range of between none and 11 incidents annually(Carley et al 1998).</p>
In this article Nick Castle explains that, with significant improvements being made to the emergency management of cardiac patients, emergency nurses should challenge and develop their clinical practice to ensure patients receive prompt and evidence based treatment.
<p>The management of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) can be divided in to three groups: resuscitation, management of pain and reperfusion therapy (Castle 2003).</p>
<p>For most emergency nurses, rescue is something that happens in the pre-hospital phase of patient management. Even for those who are regularly involved in prehospital care, typically as part of mobile medical teams (MMTs), exposure to rescue situations is typically limited to patients trapped in cars following road traffic accidents.</p>
<p>The author describes the paediatric advanced life support algorithm and discusses specific aspects of paediatric resuscitation.</p>
<p>Emergency nurses are pivotal to the management of patients with an acute coronary syndrome and the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease has further highlighted this by emphasising the importance of A&E driven thrombolysis. A vital area of patient management is the effective relief of ischaemic cardiac pain. Despite this, pain relief can be difficult to achieve and involves more than one agent.</p>
The aim of this article is to present the paediatric advanced life support (ALS) algorithm and discuss specific aspects of paediatric resuscitation.
After this article you should be able to:
Describe the paediatric ALS algorithm
Be familiar with common paediatric resuscitation drugs and a system to support estimation of drug dosages
Identify appropriate equipment for paediatric resuscitation.
<p>The aim of this article is to provide nurses with the ability to assess an ill child, instigate early basic life support to include upper airway obstruction management, and to be aware of the differences in treating the infant, child and older child.</p>
<p>The aim of this article is to review basic and advanced methods of opening and clearing an airway and to discuss effective means of ventilation and oxygenation in A&E. As an A&E nurse, you are encouraged to look at your practice and ask yourself: ‘Am I providing the best for my patient?’ After reading this article you should be able to:</p> •<p>Describe and perform basic airway opening devices</p> •<p>Be aware of a range of airway adjuncts</p> •<p>Select an appropriate device for assisted ventilation; understand the rationale for its use</p> •<p>Discuss the merits of newer devices for advanced airway management and why such devices are more appropriate for use by non-anaesthetic trained staff</p>