Psychiatry

Approach to psychiatric problems 602 Glossary of psychiatric terms 603 The psychiatric interview 604 Mental state examination 606 The aggressive patient: background 608 Safe consultations with potentially violent patients 609 Managing aggression 610 Emergency sedation of a violent patient 611 Deliberate self-harm 612 Assessment of suicide risk ...

Life-threatening emergencies

Anaphylaxis 42 Treatment algorithm for adults with anaphylaxis 44 Choking 45 Cardiac arrest 46 In-hospital resuscitation algorithm 47 Adult basic life support 48 Cardiac arrest management 50 Advanced life support algorithm 52 Notes on using the advanced life support algorithm 53 Post-resuscitation care 54 Central venous access ...

Paediatric emergencies

Paediatric problems also covered elsewhere in this book: Consent 28 Poisoning 179 Incubation periods of infectious diseases 220 Childhood infectious diseases 222 Meningitis 224 Gastroenteritis/food poisoning 226 Infestations 230 Analgesia in specific situations 280 Nasal diamorphine 281 Local anaesthesia in children 287 Sedation 309 Instructions after minor head injury ...

Surgery

Approach to abdominal pain 504 Causes of acute abdominal pain 506 Acute appendicitis 507 Acute pancreatitis 508 Biliary tract problems 510 Peptic ulcer disease 511 Intestinal obstruction 512 Mesenteric ischaemia/infarction 514 Large bowel emergencies 516 Anorectal problems 518 Retention of urine 520 Testicular problems 522...

Wounds, fractures, orthopaedics

The approach to wounds 402 Further assessment of skin wounds 404 Wound management 406 Tetanus prophylaxis 410 Antibiotic prophylaxis 411 Wound aftercare 412 Infected wounds and cellulitis 413 Bite wounds 414 Specific bites and stings 416 Needlestick injury 418 Puncture wounds 419 How to describe a fracture ...

Obstetrics and gynaecology

Gynaecological problems 564 Vaginal discharge 566 Contraceptive problems 568 Genital injury and assault 570 Gynaecological pain 572 Vaginal bleeding 574 The pregnant patient 576 Emergency normal delivery 578 Difficulties in normal delivery 580 Vaginal bleeding in pregnancy 582 Spontaneous abortion 584 Ectopic pregnancy 586 Vaginal bleeding in later pregnancy ...

Ophthalmology

Approach to eye problems 534 Ophthalmological trauma 536 Corneal trauma 538 Contact lens problems 539 Sudden visual loss 540 The red eye 542 Always take a full ophthalmic history. Which eye is affected (are both)? What is the disturbance? Are there flashing lights or floaters? How quickly did the symptoms come on? How does it affect the patient's lifestyle (job, reading, watching TV)? Ask about prior ophthalmic/optician treatment and take a full medical and drug history. Family history of glaucoma may also be relevant....

Major trauma

Major trauma: treatment principles 320 Investigations in major trauma 322 Airway obstruction: basic measures 324 Airway obstruction: surgical airway 326 Tension pneumothorax 328 Chest wall injury 330 Traumatic pneumothorax 334 Haemothorax 335 Chest drain insertion 336 Pulmonary contusions and aspiration 338 Penetrating chest injury 340...

Environmental emergencies

Hypothermia 254 Frostbite and non-freezing cold injury 257 Drowning and near drowning 258 Diving emergencies 260 Heat illness 264 Electrical injuries 266 Radiation incidents 268 Hypothermia exists when the core temperature (T°)<35°C. Infants and the elderly are at particular risk. In young adults hypothermia is usually due to environmental exposure (eg hill-walking or cold water immersion), or to immobility and impaired conscious level from alcohol or drugs. In the elderly, it is more often a prolonged state of multifactorial origin: common precipitants include unsatisfactory housing, poverty, immobility, lack of cold awareness (autonomic neuropathy, dementia), drugs (sedatives, antidepressants), alcohol, acute confusion, hypothyroidism and infections....

Toxicology

Poisons: general principles 180 Diagnosis of poisoning 182 Poisons: supportive care 183 Reducing absorption of poison 184 Antidotes for poisons 186 Opioid poisoning 188 Salicylate poisoning 189 Paracetamol poisoning 190 Tricyclic antidepressant poisoning 194 Benzodiazepine poisoning 196 Clomethiazole poisoning 196 Phenothiazine poisoning 196 Barbiturate poisoning ...