Emergency nurse : the journal of the RCN Accident and Emergency Nursing Association
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Research has highlighted potential for changes in the technique and implementation of the bag-valve-mask system, a common piece of equipment used during resuscitation attempts to ventilate patients' lungs and deliver oxygen. This article analyses a critical incident involving a patient who experienced traumatic brain injury and required airway management. In reference to a reflective model, the article discusses the technique, implementation, complications and limitations of the bag-valve-mask system, and provides implications for practice.
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In the UK, care for people with major injuries has improved since the introduction of trauma networks and major trauma centres, and since ambulance services began to use specific triage tools to identify major trauma. The advent of consultant-led trauma teams in emergency departments and implementation of the relevant protocols have also raised the standard of trauma care. ⋯ This drug is cheap and widely available, and can save lives if administered within three hours of injury. This article reviews two recent major studies of the effects of TXA on trauma patients.
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Ingestion and aspiration of foreign bodies are common reasons for children presenting to emergency departments. A significant proportion of such events are often unnoticed by the children's parents or carers. ⋯ Definitive management for foreign body removal is generally available at tertiary centres and children should be transferred to specialist services as soon as possible after stabilisation ( McConnell 2013 ). Before discharge, their parents should be educated about possible signs of deterioration and advised about home-safety measures ( Paul and Wilkinson 2012 ).