This issue of Emergency Medicine Clinics, guest edited by Drs. Gentry Wilkerson, Sal J. Suau, focuses on Allergy, Inflammatory, and Autoimmune Disorders in Emergency Medicine. This issue is one of four selected each year by series Consulting Editor, Dr. Amal Mattu. Topics include: Allergy/Anaphylaxis, Anaphylaxis: Treatment in the ED, Drug Allergies, Food Allergies, Allergic acute coronary syndrome - Kounis Syndrome; Hereditary and Acquired Angioedema, Immunotherapy, Sarcoidosis, Spondyloarthritides and Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases.

For nearly 40 years, Medicine for the Outdoors: The Essential Guide to First Aid and Medical Emergencies has been the take-along manual of choice for anyone venturing into the mountains, forest, desert, or on water. This essential guide provides highly illustrated, easy-to-follow guidance on immediate stabilization and treatment of persons with virtually any possible medical problem-designed for on-the-spot use when higher-level medical care is not accessible. Written by experts in outdoor medicine, this updated edition helps you manage any situation until medical personnel can take over. Covers key information on a wide range of disorders related to specific environments, including natural disasters, high-altitude problems, water-related incidents, heat- and cold-related illnesses, and wildland fires. Provides easy-to-understand recommendations for dealing with animal attacks, venomous wildlife, wild plant and mushroom poisoning, minor and major medical problems, infectious diseases, water disinfection, and severe bleeding. Discusses key topics, including antibiotics, medicines, opioid overdose treatment, wound closure techniques, severe bleeding, spinal assessment and immobilization, tourniquets, the use of a Gamow bag for severe altitude illness, splinting, dental emergencies, disaster preparedness, global conflict guidelines, canine medicine, today's infectious disease threats, and much more. Includes up-to-date guidelines, even more helpful illustrations and diagrams, and a new chapter: Patient Assessment: A Structured Approach to Emergencies in the Outdoors. Includes advanced topics valuable to physicians and expedition medical staff at all levels of training and experience. Enhanced eBook version included with purchase. Your enhanced eBook allows you to access all of the text, figures, and references from the book on a variety of devices.

Making the decision to help in an emergency situation is often a difficult choice. Be prepared for emergencies with the help of our CPR & Lifesaving QuickStudy (R) guide. Packed with quickly accessible information on different aspects of lifesaving, this go-to reference will help you respond effectively in an emergency until professional help arrives. Learn how to evaluate a scene, the steps in CPR and AED use, standard precautions, and other essential elements in the chain of survival. This durable, laminated guide also includes illustrations for easy understanding. Keep a copy in your home, with your camping gear, at your office, in your car, etc., so that you will always be prepared.

A collection of challenging and unusual cases from the author's extensive experience as a Medical Toxicologist, these cases demonstrate medical problem solving and differential diagnosis in action from the perspective of an experienced clinician. Written in an engaging style and giving a fascinating account of some complex cases from real practice, this book will provide a good supplementary learning text for graduate students or those at an early stage in their professional career.

When someone has successfully completed a Standard First Aid Course, they often have a desire to extend their knowledge of first aid. The aim of this book is to give the holders of a Standard First Aid Certificate the opportunity to study the principles of first aid in greater detail. It is not intended to convert the first aider into a highly trained paramedic - so a discussion on the use of intra venous fluids, defibrillators etc., is beyond the scope of this book. It is hoped that the book will provide a useful in-depth study for demonstrators, instructors and first aiders likely to be involved in ambulance duties. I am very grateful to Brigadier D.O. O'Brien, Chief Medical Adviser, British Red Cross Society and Mrs. R.H. Smith, Assistant Branch Director (Training), Leicestershire Branch of the British Red Cross Society for their helpful comments and encouragement. I acknowledge the use of illustrations from the Clinical Symposia Series by CIBA on the "Heimlich Manoeuvre" to form the basis of Figures 3.7,3.8 and 3.9.

Paul Weinberg spent 30 years in the Emergency Room (or ER) as a medical doctor and has seen everything, Described as "a strange career" by the author, entry into the field is unrestricted and open to all who are brave (or foolish) enough to start into the stream without the knowledge of the tsunami ahead. The strangeness of the practice is apparent from the very first visit to a busy urban ER. The swarm of commotion and great vividness of the scene can be dizzying. The relentlessness of the torrent and its strange day and night rhythms can enthral and repel like no other practice or job. In turns shocking, sad and funny, this book contains remarkable tales, inside stories and the experiences of a doctor's career in ER. Emergency medicine in America is a critical asset to its healthcare system. The ER doctor is located at the interface of the public and the first point of healthcare. If a doctor is needed outside of office hours, nights, or holidays, if the patient is uninsured or has inadequate insurance, or is of such a social state that they might be unpleasant to be around, no one is turned away at the ER. In short, the life of the ER doc is one where no situation is off limits.

The prevalence of obesity, an important risk factor for various diseases, has increased markedly worldwide in recent years. The results of long-term dietary behavioural therapy, however, remain sadly inadequate, with a relapse rate of about 90%. Surgery is still the only effective treatment for these patients. The annual number of weight loss operations performed in the United States in the early 1990s totaled only about 16,000, but by 2005 the figure exceeded 200,000. The anesthetic care of severely obese patients entails particular issues, and difficulties are believed to escalate in the presence of co-morbidities. Despite this, outcome data in respect of anesthetic care and pain management are still scarce. Anesthetic Management of the Obese Patient considers a wide range of important practical issues and controversies. Key questions in preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management are carefully addressed, and different approaches are evaluated, casting light on their effectiveness and limitations. Written by world leaders in the field, this book will be an invaluable aid for anesthesiologists.

This new volume in the established and well-respected series of Self-Assessment Color Reviews covers all aspects of adult emergency medicine. Some 250 cases are presented randomly to reflect real-life practice. Each case consists of one or more questions, illustrated by stimulating visual material including clinical photographs, imaging and electrocardiograms. Answers and full discussion then follow covering differential and definitive diagnoses, management and subtle insights to provide optimal care and prevent complications. The book appeals to a wide readership, ranging from trainees to practitioners in emergency medicine or primary care, for examination revision and continuing education.

The first edition of conflict and catastrophe was produced in 2002 and a second, successful edition, followed in 2009. The decision to produce these works sprung from painful problems experienced by colleagues and authors themselves during many humanitarian and related deployments. The guide for both editions was to provide, in one volume, an entry level text covering all aspects of deployment, with an emphasis on medicine and healthcare in these environments. This third revised, expanded and updated edition of Conflict and Catastrophe Medicine: A Practical Guide follows its successful predecessors in providing a framework for use by health professionals visiting a resource constrained environment. Encompassing problems brought about by local conflict or natural disasters, the book covers preparation, organisation, logistics, treatment of major trauma and medical emergencies, and the special problems of delivering medicine in a hostile environment. This book comprehensively tackles: Self-preparation of health professionals to face a range of medical and related problems which occur in hostile and remote environments; War and disaster medicine, covering acute management, rehabilitation, reconstruction and prevention; Bridging the fields of medicine, nursing, international relations, history, politics and economics. The book also touches on nutrition, infection, trauma, psychiatry and psychological medicine and training.

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) continues to be one of the greatest challenges to critical care practitioners and one of the greatest threats to the survival of our patients. The choice of this topic for an issue of the PERSPECTIVES IN CRITICAL CARE INFECTIOUS DISEASES Series is therefore quite appropriate. Despite its importance, many areas of the management of ventilator-associated pneumonia remain controversial. We therefore are pleased to include contributions from experts and investigators offering different perspectives on some of these controversial areas.

Brought up-to-date with the latest guidance, research and policy, this second edition of Ambulance Care Practice is an essential guide for paramedic students, trainee associate ambulance practitioners, those studying towards a certificate in first response emergency care and other ambulance clinicians. It provides a complete overview of the key skills, knowledge and understanding required to work at ambulance associate practitioner level or similar within the ambulance service, covering theoretical aspects and practical application, as well as a range of different clinical procedures and patient populations. Key features include: *Clearly illustrated, step-by-step instructions for range of essential clinical skills and procedures including how to handle different types of trauma and cardiac arrest *Detailed anatomical diagrams to provide the reader with the necessary context to carry out the practical elements of their job *Evidence-based throughout and up-to-date with the latest guidance, policy and research *Specific chapters on each area of patient assessment and specific patient populations and how to manage these effectively *Chapters relevant to associate practitioner level including drug administration, mental health and end of life care as well as an in-depth chapter on assisting the paramedic. In line with the National Education Network for Ambulance Services standards The book covers learning objectives from a range of courses offered by ambulance services. It is an essential resource for anyone wanting to prepare themselves for a role within the ambulance service as well as those hoping to become a more effective member of an emergency ambulance crew.

This book provides a detailed and comprehensive overview of the role of diagnostic imaging in the assessment and management of trauma and polytrauma in children. The coverage includes imaging of injuries to the head, thorax, abdomen, bone and musculoskeletal system, with careful attention to the newest imaging techniques, imaging during the course of recovery and imaging of complications. A series of illustrative cases underline the prognostic value of imaging. In addition, an individual chapter is devoted to diagnostic imaging in cases of child abuse. The book concludes by discussing informed consent and medicolegal issues related to the imaging of pediatric traumatic emergencies. "Imaging Trauma and Polytrauma in Pediatric Patients "will be invaluable in enabling radiologists and clinicians to identify the main features and signs of injuries on a wide range of imaging techniques, including X-ray, ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

The aim of this book is to help the reader achieve the correct diagnosis in the emergency setting, which continues to remain a challenge, given the variety of potential clinical presentations. Diagnostic failure is the largest reason for delays in provision of appropriate treatment, which can be life-saving, and the largest source of clinical complaints and untoward incidents leading to poor clinical outcomes and to litigation. In this book, the readers will find diagnostic checklists, organised according to potential emergency presentations and classified under body systems, including atypical presentations, lists of differential diagnoses and guidance to pattern recognition. Apart from providing an aide-memoire for a range of presentations, it is hoped that the book will allow for better quality and informed referrals, especially between health care providers. This book is aimed as a rapid reference guide for all levels of medical staff working in emergency and acute care settings in the English-speaking world, but may also benefit nursing professionals and medical students.

Using sample administrative and clinical protocols that any hospital can use, this book gives a detailed account of how to set up and run an observation unit and reviews all medical conditions in which observation medicine may be beneficial. In addition to clinical topics such as improving patient outcomes and avoiding readmissions, it also includes practical topics such as design, staffing, and daily operations; fiscal aspects, such as coding, billing, and reimbursement; regulatory concerns, such as aligning case management and utilization review with observation; nursing considerations; and more. The future of observation medicine, and how it can help solve the healthcare crisis from costs to access, is also discussed. Although based on US practices, this book is also applicable to an international audience, and contains instructions for implementing observation in any setting or locale and in any type of hospital or other appropriate facility.

Whether switching on the TV, picking up a newspaper or simply logging on to the internet, one is constantly faced with images of natural disasters, conflict and human suffering. Humanity has experienced these problems throughout time and we have evolved methods and mechanisms for alleviating suffering, from trauma care following a traffic accident to international pacts and the Millennium Development Goals. In exploring such diverse cases of aid intervention, Disaster Medicine: A Case Based Approach provides interesting, easily accessible content and context for understanding disaster medicine and global health. In each case the reader will be put in the position of the decision maker and as in real life some of the cases will portray success and some will show failure. It is hoped the reader will consider the issues and problems for themselves and perhaps consider things they would choose to do differently. Written by a team of experts with extensive experience in the field and a progressive perspective Disaster Medicine: A Case Based Approach is a valuable text for students and professionals of disaster medicine.

This "comforting...thoughtful" (The Washington Post) guide to maintaining a high quality of life-from resilient old age to the first inklings of a serious illness to the final breath-by the New York Times bestselling author of Knocking on Heaven's Door is a "roadmap to the end that combines medical, practical, and spiritual guidance" (The Boston Globe). "A common sense path to define what a 'good' death looks like" (USA TODAY), The Art of Dying Well is about living as well as possible for as long as possible and adapting successfully to change. Packed with extraordinarily helpful insights and inspiring true stories, award-winning journalist Katy Butler shows how to thrive in later life (even when coping with a chronic medical condition), how to get the best from our health system, and how to make your own "good death" more likely. Butler explains how to successfully age in place, why to pick a younger doctor and how to have an honest conversation with them, when not to call 911, and how to make your death a sacred rite of passage rather than a medical event. This handbook of preparations-practical, communal, physical, and spiritual-will help you make the most of your remaining time, be it decades, years, or months. Based on Butler's experience caring for aging parents, and hundreds of interviews with people who have successfully navigated our fragmented health system and helped their loved ones have good deaths, The Art of Dying Well also draws on the expertise of national leaders in family medicine, palliative care, geriatrics, oncology, and hospice. This "empowering guide clearly outlines the steps necessary to prepare for a beautiful death without fear" (Shelf Awareness).

Women have always been healers; they have helped each other through the birthing process, nursed the sick and wounded, and sought cures for illnesses and injuries. This book summarizes the lives of 240 significant or representative women who have engaged in the core professions of mid-wifery, nursing, and medicine (exclusive of psychiatry), and whose careers were primarily spent in the United States and Canada, from colonial times to the present. For the high school or college student, it will serve as an introduction to the lives of these healers; some students may be inspired to do further research on them or may be inspired to become healers themselves. Women's Studies scholars, biographers, and historians of science, medicine, or nursing, will find the biographies useful starting points for more in-depth research. Each biography provides references for further reading and study.

While many books are available on disaster medicine, none is specifically devoted to the role of physicians in the management of patients exposed to radiation leakage from a damaged nuclear power plant. "Radiation Disaster Medicine" aims to fill this void based on the response to the Fukushima nuclear accident. Each chapter addresses principles and practices of radiation medicine within the specific context of that accident. Topics covered include the role of physicians in radiation disasters, the concepts of external and internal exposure, prehospital and hospital response, disaster behavioral health, and radiation emergency response from the perspective of national and international institutions. Most of the contributors are active educators and researchers in radiation medicine with first-hand experience in dealing with prehospital triage and management of patients within secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Japan.

Intensive Care Medicine: Annual Update 2002 compiles the most recent, widespread developments of experimental and clinical research and practice in one comprehensive reference. The chapters are written by renowned experts in the field of intensive care and emergency medicine. Everyone involved in internal medicine, anesthesia, surgery, pediatrics, intensive care and emergency medicine will find this title useful in their work.