Archives of emergency medicine
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A method of improving information about injuries sustained in road traffic accidents is described. It was achieved by combining data from the police with that from the accident and emergency department in such a way that patient confidentiality was preserved. This improved data base shows that present estimates of the number of injuries sustained on the road are too low and that assessments of their severity are probably inaccurate.
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Prior to the commissioning of the Phase I redevelopment of Glasgow Royal Infirmary, the need for the development of a new type of resuscitation trolley had been identified by a liaison group consisting of medical, nursing and scientific staff which had been set up to collaborate on the selection and specification of clinical equipment. A design study involving the liaison group and the Product Design Section of the Glasgow School of Art was, therefore, undertaken. This resulted in a basic design which was built in prototype form by the Department of Clinical Physics and Bioengineering for hospital trials. The unit was later taken over commercially.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of local anaesthetic techniques in the reduction of Colles' fracture.
A trial comparing the use of Bier's block and the direct infiltration of the fracture site with local anaesthetic was carried out to assess their effectiveness in the reduction of Colles' fracture. This showed Bier's block to be superior in terms of patient acceptability and in ease of reduction. The results of the reduction were also significantly better using the Bier's block, as judged by the measurement of the residual displacement on the X-ray.
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A study was made of patients with stab wounds who attended the Accident and Emergency Department of Glasgow Royal Infirmary during 1978 and 1983. There were 318 patients. The majority, 304 (96%), were males. ⋯ The features of the patients and their wounds are compared with those of a previous study carried out at the same hospital in the early 1960s (Batey & MacBain, 1967). The post-mortem reports of 25 fatal stab injury cases occurring in Glasgow between 1971 and 1978 are also reviewed. Some aspects of diagnosis, management and prevention of stab wounds are discussed.
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The pocket mask is a convenient and cost effective method of ventilation when used with the rescuer's lungs and appears to offer a clear advantage in terms of volume delivered during the early treatment of respiratory arrest. Clinical data is needed to confirm the advantage of this device.