Oxygen: risks as well as benefits

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory McDermott ◽  
Craig Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Clinical Benefit ◽  
Annual Cost ◽  
Oxygen Therapy ◽  
Symptom Relief ◽  
Acute Setting ◽  
Oxygen Administration ◽  
The United Kingdom

Oxygen administration is the most commonly used therapy in emergency medicine. It is given to 18,000 patients in the United Kingdom every day, and 14% of patients in hospital receive it at some time during their stay. Whilst some of this activity is helpful, or indeed lifesaving, in some patients, oxygen can lead to harm, or even death. The domiciliary use of oxygen is also an area in which there is the potential for both waste and harm. When appropriately used, it prolongs life and provides valuable symptom relief; yet, in up to 43% of the cases, such therapy was either not used by patients as directed or provided no clinical benefit. At an annual cost in excess of £110 million, this is a lot of waste. This chapter examines the use of oxygen in both the acute setting and the assessment for home oxygen, with a focus on the pathophysiology behind oxygen therapy and the potential dangers.

scholarly journals Acute and General Medicine on Opposite Sides of the World

2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-68
Author(s):  
Alasdair B MacDonald ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
Acute Medicine ◽  
Shared Learning ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The World ◽  
Compare And Contrast

The environments in which General, Acute and Emergency Medicine have evolved in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have differed significantly. As a result of this, the development and the role of Acute Medicine have also had significant contrasts but there are also many similarities and opportunities for shared learning. We are now in a position to look maturely at our services and allow a little constructive ‘compare and contrast’. Confidence in our own models means now we can each embrace diversity rather than believe one size fits all – not just across the world but also in our own backyards.

Emergency Medicine in the United Kingdom—How It Is Taught

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. 85-86
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Marsden
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
First Aid ◽  
Ambulance Service ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Accident And Emergency ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Way

The staff of accident and emergency departments in the United Kingdom are realizing their increasing role in teaching the elements of emergency care. This paper highlights some recent developments which have influenced the way in which emergency medicine is taught.First Aid instruction aims to impart the universally agreed and accepted principles to a wide ranging audience. Traditionally these principles have been embodied in the combined manual of the St. John Ambulance Service, St.

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