Heroin overdose or other opiate poisoning is an emergency that most paramedics and ambulance staff will be familiar with. However, there are some elements that can cause uncertainty for responders. What comes first CPR or naloxone? What are the signs of opiate toxicity? How much naloxone antidote do you give to someone to reverse opiate induced respiratory arrest?
Read More**This podcast features discussion of suicide and hanging**
Hanging is one of the most common methods of suicide in the western world. Ambualnce crew are likely to come across these cases in the course of their work and so it is important that we understand the pathophysiology and managment of them.
This month we discuss how hanging causes cardiac arrest, clarrify commonly used terms, discuss the managment as well as emotional support for family and staff involved in these cases.
Make sure you debrief the incident, take care of your own emotional and mental health after incidents such as these. The ambulance staff crisis phone line is 0300 373 0898. Look after your health and that of your colleagues.
Ankle injuries present to ambulance staff across a wide spectrum, from the minor soft tissue injury that can be discharged on scene, to the fracture dislocation. We need to be confident in assessing and managing the full spectrum of these injuries,
This month we talk about manipulating fractures, prophylactic antibiotics, as well as how to decide which injuries need an x-ray and what advice to give those patients that don't.
Asthma is the most common lung pathology in the UK. Managing exacerbations of the disease is something paramedics and emergency teams should be well versed in. In this months episode we review the pathophysiology, look at the different severities of exacerbation that may present to ambulance crews, discuss what types of patient are suitable for discharge as well as looking at the treatments we can offer from the mild asthma attack to the life threatening.
Read MoreIts a topic that's been in the news a lot recently. This year is seeing a particularly high number of Strep A infections in the UK, this naturally translates to a higher number of complications and cases of invasive group A strep. That’s why this month we're taking a deep dive into all of it.
Read MoreSeeking remote clinical advice is a cornerstone of advanced decision-making. Shared decision-making for the benefit of patients is becoming more common within ambulance practice, this month we look at how to get the most out of phoning a friend.
Read MoreThis month we're looking at headaches, this is a condition with a wide range of causes, from the seemingly benign migraines and tension headaches to more sinister causes such as Sub-aracnoid bleeds and the infamous "thunder clap” headache presentation.
Read MoreThis month we're taking a look at Epistaxis. It's a common presentation with a varied degree of severity.
You might not thing there's much to learn about managing a nose bleed, but that's where you'd be wrong. There's a number of things we need to consider when assessing these patients and several treatment options to consider.
Tracheostomy Emergencies can be high-stress situations, that require time-critical intervention, that’s why this month we're speaking to an expert and founder of the National Tracheostomy Safety Project Dr Brendan Mcgrath.
Read MoreThis month’s episode is very much not a how-to PHEA podcast. This is designed to give a bit of awareness to what’s happening if you’re part of one and how you can support the wider team if you find yourself looking after a patient receiving an anaesthetic.
Read MoreFrailty is a term we commonly encounter in urgent and emergency care, but can you actually define it? Have you been taught to use frailty scores, and do you know what they're for?
This month we've partnered with the fantastic MDTea podcast to look at the subject.
As always, find the article at www.generalbroadcast.org.uk
and check out the other fantastic resources from the MDTea at: thehearingaidpodcasts.org.uk/mdtea-podcast/
Silver trauma is the term that is most commonly used to describe trauma in older patients. It is often used to refer to major trauma in this patient group and rates of major trauma in the over 65s are rising.
This month we're looking at the physiological changes that occur with ageing and trying to understand how these impact our older patients who suffer trauma.
This is the second episode in a two-part series on COPD.
In this episode, we look at the differential diagnosis to consider to a simple exacerbation, the ambulance management as well as recent changes to national paramedic guidelines, and the management options
COPD is a terminal condition believed to affect as much as 4% of the UK populace. These patients often present to ambulance crews with an exacerbation in symptoms.
In this episode, we look at the pathophysiology of COPD, causes and diagnosis as well as the assessment of acute shortness of breath in these patients.
When you think of Paediatrics medicine, the presentation of fever is probably not far behind. This is a common finding by paramedics and ambulance staff need to be confident in their assessment and management of this patient group.
Thats why this month we're tackling paediatric fever, with the help from paediatrics consultant Dr Wajeeh Khattam
Read MoreDiseases affecting the Aorta have been known for Centuries and were, historically, due to trauma or infectious disease. The Scientific advances of the 17th and 18th Centuries saw huge leaps in our understanding of anatomy, biology, medicine and germ theory and, as a result, the near disappearance of syphillitic aneurysms and an increasing understanding of how to successfully manage these conditions. But with the modern world comes modern problems - as our diets and lifestyles have changed, we have seen the emergence and rise of atherosclerotic degenerative aneurysms, inflammatory arterial disease and aortic dissection. These conditions, often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, can present a challenge to clinicians in the pre-hospital arena. So, this month, we're looking at some Aortic disease pathologies and everything you aorta know about them.
Read MoreDischarging a patient is one of the riskier areas of practice for paramedics and ambulance clinicians, so it is essential that we appropriately safety net our patients and do this well, to protect them and ourselves. In This months podcast we look at how we can make discharging out patients safer.
Read MoreThis month we take a look at a paediatric condition...Bronchiolitis. We discuss the pathophysiology of the disease, how paramedics and ambulance staff can assess and manage these children and what the evidence suggests are the most appropriate treatment plans.
Read MoreUrinary tract infections (UTIs) are an extremely common presentation to both primary and secondary care services. The term UTI encompasses a wide range of clinical conditions so we need to be confident in assessing and diagnosing them.
This month we look at UTIs!
This week we’re looking at feedback to students, both how to give on shift feedback. How to give “negative” feedback and how to manage the dreaded situation for every mentor, a failing student.
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