Written in collaboration with the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine by a Boston Globe reporter and author who was granted rare access to their emergency ward, Animal ER takes us into the day-to-day drama of life on the front lines of veterinary medicine. In this premier animal facility, experts in the fields of surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, ophthalmology, and oncology provide care for patients of all shapes, sizes, and breeds. Here, operations using state-of-the-art technology go hand in hand with personal counseling for owners and pets in crisis. From a pygmy hedgehog with mites to an elephant with an eye problem to the Dalmatian who must undergo disc surgery for his back...from the close calls to the split-second decisions that can save a life, Animal ER is a moving testament to the healing powers of love and medicine-and to the timeless bond between people and their pets.

This book provides a collection of ten protocols for conducting rapid health assessments in the immediate aftermath of different types of emergencies. Noting the vital importance of rapid and accurate information in the earliest stage of an emergency, the protocols respond to the urgent need for common standardized technical tools for assessing damage, gauging health risks, and gathering the information immediately needed by decision-makers at the national and international level. The protocols were prepared by WHO in collaboration with a large number of international agencies and experts with broad experience in the field of emergency management. Although all protocols follow a common format, each is specific to the circumstances, potential hazards, and immediate information needs that characterize a distinct type of emergency. Emphasis is placed on the exact information needed, the best sources of data and methods for rapid collection, and the specific questions that need to be answered in order to draw initial conclusions and direct immediate actions.Although the advantages of using experienced assessments teams are stressed, the book also explains how the protocols can be used to train general health workers as part of emergency preparedness. The book opens with an introductory protocol covering the aims and methods, responsibilities, complexities, and inherent difficulties of rapid health assessments. Addressed to health authorities as well as assessment teams, the chapter also includes abundant advice on preparedness for emergencies. Details range from the comparative need for speed in different types of emergencies, through a suggested format for presenting the results of assessments, to a list of common logistic, organizational, and technical errors. Advice on the best working practices, including ways to avoid being an "emergency tourist", is also provided. Against this background, the additional nine protocols are presented according to a common format which covers the purpose of the assessment, preparedness, the steps to follow during the assessment, assessing the impact on health, assessing local response capacity and immediate needs, and presenting results.A general protocol on epidemics of infectious origin is followed by protocols specific to meningitis outbreaks, outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic fever, including yellow fever, and outbreaks of acute diarrhoeal disease, with information specific to dysentery and cholera. Sudden-impact natural disasters are covered in the next protocol, which includes a day-by-day list of information priorities for different stages of the disaster. A protocol dealing with sudden population displacements offers guidelines for conducting rapid health assessments in all emergencies caused by sudden displacement of refugees or population groups within a country. Included are a sample checklist for rapid assessments and a sample form for weekly reports on morbidity and mortality. Subsequent protocols deal with the special situations of nutritional emergencies and chemical emergencies, including those caused by food contaminated with chemicals or toxins. The final protocol addresses the difficult task of conducting assessments in complex emergencies in which the cause of the emergency, as well as the assistance to the afflicted, is complicated by intense levels of political considerations.The protocol includes a form which has recently been used for rapid health assessment at local level in Bosnia and Herzegovnia. The book concludes with a brief summary of survey techniques, followed by a tabular presentation of reference values for assessing needs, hazards, and logistic requirements in developing countries.

Features over 400 questions and answers which reflect recent changes in the EMT curriculum, creating the perfect review tool for anyone taking the EMT entry level exam. Questions emphasize the current trend toward assessment-based treatment and the degree of difficulty mimics thats found on the actual exam. The organization corresponds to the eight major modules in the EMT learning curriculum. Detailed answers explain basic concepts and fortify your study. References to the current literature are supplied.

"GRIPPING."
--Booklist

A crane falls on a hapless mother of two, almost crushing her to death . . . A trauma victim of a helicopter crash desperately clings to life . . . A paralegal aide suffers a violent seizure from a cocaine overdose and gasps for breath . . . Welcome to the ER at Bellevue Hospital, the frontline trenches of medicine where doctors fight around-the-clock to save lives at a frenetic pace of quick decisions and real life-and-death drama.

Some three hundred people slam through these hospital doors every day. Gunshot cops, battered kids, drug addicts, and suicides. Destitute drunks, bag ladies, AIDS sufferers, and accident victims. It's a bizarre parade of humanity looking for help in the one place they know they can find it: the ER.

"Gut-wrenching, heartwarming, and instructive about the exigencies of this branch of medicine as practiced at this legendary institution."
--Publishers Weekly

"From the Paperback edition."

Designed for EMS and medical professionals at all levels of training, Tactical Medicine Essentials, Second Edition provides the foundation needed to become a world-class tactical medical provider (TMP). Written by an experienced team of authors from diverse backgrounds, this text covers the essential curriculum of tactical medicine, including tactical patient assessment, expedient extrication and evacuation, and self-defense skills. The Second Edition thoroughly prepares medical professionals to safely accompany a SWAT unit into the tactical environment. Current, State-of-the-Art Medical Content for the Tactical Environment The rapidly changing tactical environment requires specialized rapid assessment techniques. The tactical patient assessment process is presented in a single, comprehensive chapter, ensuring that students understand how to rapidly apply this specialized process to the patient in the tactical environment. Each traumatic injury chapter further reinforces the tactical patient assessment process by highlighting the unique aspects of each traumatic injury. A new chapter about active assailant mass casualty incidents has been added. Law enforcement education topics for TMPs are compiled in a new appendix. Dynamic Features These features allow EMS and medical professionals to take the extra step toward becoming outstanding TMPs: * At the Scene Advice from experienced TMPs on how to excel during a mission * Safety Information on how to remain safe in the tactical environment, even under the threat of violence * Medical Gear Tips on the best equipment to pack and utilize in the tactical environment * Detailed Step-by-Step Skill Reviews A thorough discussion of how to perform lifesaving skills in the high-intensity tactical environment

About Emergency Pediatric Care, Fourth Edition Each year in the United States, approximately 1.6 million pediatric patients are transported by ambulance to an emergency department, and millions more are cared for around the globe. Because pediatric prehospital patient care is considered low-frequency, high-acuity care, it is vital for practitioners to refresh and update their clinical knowledge, practice psychomotor skills, and apply critical thinking to potential patient presentations to ensure these skills are ready to be applied when a pediatric call is received. Emergency Pediatric Care, Fourth Edition is the next step in the evolution of this critical continuing education course. The EPC Course uses a specialized version of the Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals, Fourth Edition as the reference text, bundled with a course manual. This course manual is an engaging resource that can continue to be consulted after the course to assist practitioners in providing the best care for their young patients. A Family-Centered Approach to Pediatric Care NAEMT's EPC program serves pediatric patients through the global education of prehospital care practitioners of all levels. The EPC program promotes excellence in pediatric patient management by all practitioners involved in the delivery of prehospital care. The main goal of the EPC course is not just to assure that EMS practitioners can take better care of ill and injured children. It also recognizes that almost every pediatric call revolves around the needs of not only the child, but also the child's caregivers. This course manual includes comprehensive coverage of these topics and more: * Pediatric development and assessment * Pediatric respiratory emergencies * Pediatric trauma care * Shock and circulation * Common pediatric medical emergencies * Cardiac events * Common toxicological emergencies * Maltreatment * Obstetric and newborn care * Children with special healthcare needs * Behavioral health

The fourth edition of this text constitutes a continuation of 20 years of coverage of traumatic brain injury, and broadens the discussion of acquired brain injury. Within TBI, the paradigm shift from an injury occurring at a point in time to a disease entity of a chronic nature is changing the discussion of diagnosis, management, treatment and outcome assessment. Disease specification that differentiates TBIs by the mechanism of injury, the exact nature of the injury, the extent of injury, presence of co-morbidities and their exact nature, gender, age, race, and genome are emerging as crucial. Disease differentiation has impacted diagnosis, treatment and outcome.

Inpatient units treat some of the most clinically challenging psychiatric patients. Clinicians must carefully balance patients' rights with safety concerns of violence and suicide. This updated manual is compact and practical, addressing the common questions and issues clinicians face in day-to-day practice. Chapters are organised around the diagnoses found on inpatient psychiatric units, allowing readers to find their area of interest quickly. A user-friendly question and answer format anticipates commonly asked questions, and tables provide easily accessible information, including diagnostic criteria and medication effects. Incorporating advances in the field over the past decade, chapters review new treatments including ketamine use and chronotherapy, as well as the most recent evidence-based approaches for patients with borderline personality disorder. Drawing on the authors' wealth of experience, their recommendations for best practice as well as treatment philosophies will be valuable for all healthcare professionals working in mental health.

This book contains three chapters about peritonitis, which is an inflammation of the membrane lining the abdominal wall and covering the abdominal organs. Chapter One presents classification of postoperative peritonitis, describes symptoms, reviews the current understanding of the phases and stages of development and features of the disease, and discusses the usefulness of different prognostic scales for assessment of complicated intra-abdominal infections. Chapter Two studies assisted peritoneal dialysis, wherein a nurse goes to the patient's home to perform the dialysis technique when the patient is unable to do it himself. Chapter Three discusses in detail different types of peritoneum infections, including their principles of diagnosis and treatment options.

An easily accessible guide to diagnosing and managing critical situations, Emergencies in Gastroenterology and Hepatology aids doctors in dealing with acutely sick patients quickly and effectively. The book provides practical advice on how to make difficult decisions in an emergency situation. Areas covered include life and death emergencies, as well as the broad problems faced by on-call Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists on a daily basis. The focus throughout is on immediate management, but the book also includes reference to long term follow up for certain problems. Each chapter has an associated algorithm, which summarises the contents of the chapter, providing an aide memoir for the reader and facilitating learning, as well as being a quick reference tool. Bullet-point information for speed and clarity combined with the integral cross-referencing system, further enables quick access to the necessary information.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among adults, yet it need not be fatal. Though survival in most communities is very poor, a few communities achieve rates as high as 50%. Why are some communities so successful in snatching life from the jaws of death? "Resuscitate " describes the steps any EMS system can take to improve cardiac arrest survival. It is written for the medical directors, administrative directors, fire chiefs, dispatch directors, and program supervisor who direct and run EMS systems all across the country, and for the EMTs, paramedics, and dispatchers who provide frontline care.

This second edition of "Resuscitate " provides fifteen concrete steps to improve survival. Four steps will lead to rapid improvements at the local level and are relatively easy to implement. Six additional steps are more difficult to implement but also likely to improve survival. The remaining steps recommend changes at the national level.

"Resuscitate " is the official textbook for the Resuscitation Academy, held twice a year in Seattle. Cosponsored by Seattle Medic One, King County EMS, and the Medic One Foundation, the Academy draws attendees from throughout the world for two intensive days of classes, demonstrations, and workshops to acquire the knowledge and tools to improve survival in their own communities. This new edition includes lessons learned from attendees of the Academy as well as from the faculty's evolving thoughts on how to measure performance and improve survival, one community at a time. It also includes an addendum on the Resuscitation Academy (resuscitationacademy.org).

For more than thirty years, Mickey S. Eisenberg M.D., Ph.D., has played a leading role in developing King County, Washington's emergency response to cases of sudden cardiac arrest, a system recognized as among the very best in the nation. He is a professor of medicine at the University of Washington and serves as the medical director of King County Emergency Medical Services.

"If you care about sudden cardiac arrest in your community and how emergency medical services respond to this critical emergency, I can think of no more important book than this."-from the Foreword by Roger D. White, M.D., Mayo Clinic

"Eisenberg has done a remarkable job in articulating the steps to be taken for communities to improve survival from sudden cardiac arrest. "Resuscitate " is a 'best in class' and one of a kind guide that provides inspiration as well as direction in translating resuscitatioin science into practice. It is essential for all those who seek to establish strategies to improve survival and quality of life for cardiac arrest victims whose hearts are 'too young to die.'" -David B. Hiltz, EMT-P Resuscitation Academy Alumni

"This book was transformative to me and to the EMS system in Durham, North Carolina. I read it cover to cover and attended the Resuscitation Academy. Eisenberg and his colleagues gave me the knowledge, the tools, and the inspiration to improve resuscitation in Durham. Step by step we are getting better and more lives are being saved." -Captain David Jacobs, Durham County Fire Department

As surgical specialization becomes more focused, there is a growing lack of expertise amongst surgeons in life-preserving management of severely injured patients. This comprehensively updated second edition provides an in-depth, visual guide to both commonly and uncommonly performed trauma procedures. It includes over 900 high-quality color photographs and illustrations of step-by-step procedures on fresh, perfused and ventilated cadavers. Practical surgical anatomy, procedural sequencing, and common technical pitfalls are all clearly outlined. A number of new techniques have been introduced since the first edition, from REBOA (resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aortic), to ribplating for flail chest and skin grafting. Informed by the editors' experience in some of the busiest trauma centres in the world, the text has been updated throughout and includes additional photographs. This Atlas is an essential resource for trainee and operating trauma surgeons, and general surgeons distant from academic centres, as well as emergency medicine and critical care personnel.

'During open-chest resuscitations, I've held a non-beating, recently stilled human heart in my hands. And, should you ever get to hold one, you will find the human heart to be rubbery and shockingly light.' What Could Possibly Go Wrong? is a report from the front line of emergency medicine, the first ever account of what it is like to work as an air ambulance doctor. Whether describing cutting through a patient's breastbone to plug a stab wound or barrel rolling a light aircraft at 5,000 feet, Tony Bleetman captures the sheer adrenaline of racing through the sky to save lives. You will learn how to land a helicopter on the side of a mountain, what it means to encounter death every day, and how to perform a tracheotomy in real life (clue: it doesn't involve a ball-point pen). Funny, shocking and moving, What Could Possibly Go Wrong? is a glimpse at a world where the wrong decision can mean the difference between life and death. Originally published as You Can't Park There: The Highs and Lows of an Air Ambulance Doctor.

Hace mas de tres decadas, PHTLS: Soporte Vital de Trauma Prehospitalario transformo la evaluacion y manejo del trauma en el campo. A lo largo de los anos y alrededor del mundo, el curso de PHTLS ha mejorado la calidad de la atencion al paciente de trauma y ha salvado vidas. La novena edicion de este confiable y fidedigno recurso continua con la mision de PHTLS de promover la excelencia en el manejo de pacientes con trauma por parte de los proveedores involucrados en proporcionar la atencion prehospitalaria mediante la educacion global. Este legendario programa fue desarrollado por primera vez por la Asociacion Nacional de Tecnicos en Emergencias Medicas (National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, NAEMT), a principios de la decada de los ochenta del siglo pasado con la cooperacion del Comite para el Trauma del Colegio Americano de Cirujanos (American College of Surgeons Commitee on Trauma, ACS-COT). Su contenido medico se revisa y actualiza en forma continua para reflejar lo ultimo y mas actualizado del conocimiento y la practica con base en la evidencia. El PHTLS promueve el pensamiento critico como fundamento para proporcionar una atencion de calidad. Basandose en la creencia de que los profesionales de los servicios de emergencias medicas toman las mejores decisiones en beneficio de sus pacientes cuando se les proporciona una base solida de conocimiento y principios clave para estimular sus habilidades de pensamiento critico. Desde 1996, la Atencion Tactica a Victimas en Combate (TCCC) ha mejorado el cuidado que se proporciona en los entornos prehospitalarios de combate. La TCCC es el element prehospitalario en el campo de batalla del Joint Trauma System, una organizacion del Departamento de Defensa que proyecta la atencion de trauma en combate hasta el punto de lesiones y seguimiento de cuidado continuo mientras lleva a la victima a casa para su recuperacion y rehabilitacion. Las guias de TCCC son revisadas y actualizadas constantemente por el Comite de Atencion Tactica a Victimas de Combate (CoTCCC), un grupo de voluntarios en medicina militar y especialistas en atencion de trauma. PHTLS: Soporte Vital de Trauma Prehospitalario, Novena Edicion Militar es el siguiente paso en la evolucion del programa lider mundial de educacion sobre trauma prehospitalario, una asociacion entre PHTLS y TCCC que se remonta a la cuarta edicion de este curso. Esta edicion continua la mision compartida de promover la excelencia en el tratamiento del trauma por parte de todos los proveedores y en todos los entornos. Ademas del contenido principal de PHTLS, presenta trece capitulos escritos por militares expertos en la atencion de trauma prehospitalario para profesionales en el entorno militar. Estos incluyen un capitulo dedicado a escenarios detallados disenados para perfeccionar las habilidades de pensamiento critico y para ayudar al personal medico de combate a aprender a pensar claramente bajo presion en combate. Un enfoque claro para evaluar al paciente de trauma En el campo, los segundos cuentan. PHTLS: Soporte Vital de Trauma Prehospitalario, edicion militar novena ensena y refuerza los principios para evaluar con rapidez al paciente con trauma usando un enfoque ordenado, tratando de inmediato los problemas que ponen en riesgo la vida conforme se van identificando y minimizando cualquier retraso para iniciar transporte a un destino adecuado.

The management of critically ill or injured children has become increasingly specialised; nevertheless, the first point of contact for many sick children remains their nearest hospital. Here, the initial management will usually involve emergency department doctors, anaesthetists and paediatricians. Managing the Critically Ill Child is written by anaesthetists and emergency department physicians who currently have a significant paediatric practice. It provides a straightforward guide for non-paediatricians encountering acutely unwell or injured children. This book helps readers apply their knowledge from adult practice to children, and avoid pitfalls where the approaches in paediatrics differ. Written in a practical, concise format, Managing the Critically Ill Child guides physicians beyond the initial emergency algorithms and is essential reading for physicians and trainees in emergency medicine, anaesthesia and intensive care who may be asked to look after a child.

Ultrasound technology is enabling anesthesiologists to perform regional anesthetic procedures with greater confidence in accuracy and precision. With improvements in visualizing neural anatomy and needle movement, ultrasound guidance improves patient safety and operating room efficiency. This book offers a detailed, stepwise approach to this technique, identifying pearls and pitfalls to ensure success. Topics are organized into four chapters. The first chapter provides the basic principles behind ultrasound guided regional anesthesia, setting a strong context for the rest of the book. The last three cover the nerve blocks: upper extremity, lower extremity, and chest, trunk and spine. Each nerve block is comprehensively explained, divided up by introduction, anatomy, clinical applications, technique, alternate techniques, complications, and pearls. This new edition includes discussions of 6 new blocks: the suprascapular block, axillary nerve block for shoulder surgery, fascia iliaca block, lateral femoral cutaneous block, and the adductor canal block. This edition also contains over 40 new procedural and imaging figures, an appendix on what blocks to perform for specific surgeries, and new information on choice of local anesthetic agent, types of catheters and practical ultrasound physics to help improve scanning. Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia provides authoritative, in-depth coverage of ultrasound guided regional anesthesia for the anesthesiologist beginning to use ultrasound and makes a great reference for the more seasoned physician.

Emergency Procedures in Clinical Practice in Obstetrics and Gynecology is a concise, quick-reference resource for obstetricians and gynaecologists, written by Professor Sanja Kupesic from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Centre. This book provides guidance on fifty of the most common procedural skills in emergency obstetrics and gynaecology. Learning objectives, indications, contraindications, universal precautions, complications, basic equipment and a step-by-step guide to preparation and technique are provided with every procedure. Techniques covered include core procedures in family medicine, internal medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology training. Multiple choice questions, with answers, are also provided to test understanding. Emergency Procedures in Clinical Practice in Obstetrics and Gynaecology includes full colour illustrations throughout, and an accompanying DVD-ROM demonstrates the procedures explained in the text, making this an excellent teaching tool and source of reference in every day practice. Key Points Guide to fifty of the most common emergency procedures in obstetrics and gynaecology Multiple choice questions to test understanding Full colour illustrations and accompanying DVD-ROM demonstrate procedures