Journal of accident & emergency medicine
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To determine the ability of nurse practitioners to use the Ottawa ankle rules by comparing their requests for radiography with those of senior house officers (SHOs). ⋯ Nurse practitioners trained to use the Ottawa ankle rules are as effective as SHOs in the implementation of the rules. Moreover the sensitivity and specificity of the Ottawa ankle rules was similar to that seen in other studies.
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Comparative Study
Emergency intubation of infants: does laryngoscope blade design make any difference?
To compare intubation times and ease of use for a range of infant laryngoscope blades in the hands of accident and emergency (A&E) personnel. ⋯ No current standard exists regarding the utilisation of infant laryngoscope blades in the A&E department. The first line blade available should be a C shaped blade (Miller, Oxford, Robert-shaw, or Wisconsin). Other blade designs should be kept for use only by more experienced personnel or in difficult intubation situations. Intubation training must focus on correct technique and regular assessment is essential.