Journal of accident & emergency medicine
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Two cases of traumatic asphyxia in young children are reported. The first was a 2 year old child run over at low speed by the front wheels of a delivery van. He made an uncomplicated recovery. ⋯ He was discovered in cardiac arrest and resuscitation was unsuccessful. The outcome following traumatic asphyxia is a product of duration of compression and the weight involved. Considerable weight can be tolerated for a short period, whereas a comparatively modest weight applied for a longer period may result in death.
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Opportunities exist for graduates from the United Kingdom to undertake some of their emergency medicine training in Australia. Guidelines for graduates are presented on when to travel, how to find a position, what information one should obtain about a position, and how to acquire the necessary visa and medical registration. ⋯ The graduate who undertakes training abroad can expect to benefit professionally and personally. The development of an international exchange network for trainees would streamline the process and broaden the appeal to graduates of completing some of their emergency medicine training in another country.
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To examine current patterns of deployment and use of emergency ambulance crews in Nottinghamshire, with particular reference to crew status (technician or paramedic), case mix, interventions performed, and operational times. ⋯ The additional time taken by paramedics at the scene of an emergency incident relates to their performance of an intervention, rather than time spent assessing the patient to decide whether stabilisation or immediate evacuation would be most appropriate. Paramedic interventions were most often performed for medical emergencies. The performance of paramedic interventions also extended turnaround times and total out-of-service times.
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To assess the workload generated by police inquiries to an accident and emergency (A&E) department and the adherence of medical staff to departmental guidelines relating to these inquiries. ⋯ Police inquiries generate a significant workload for an A&E department, often at clinically busy times. Medical staff need further education to ensure that patient confidentiality is respected while assisting the police with their investigations.