The Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine Annual Scientific Conference 2004

A1 USE OF A FORENSIC TECHNIQUE TO DETECT OCCULT BLOOD CONTAMINATION OF EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE TRAUMA EQUIPMENT

J. Lee, M. Levy, A. Walker.

Blood borne viruses are a recognised threat to health professionals involved in emergency care. Hepatitis B can remain viable in dried blood for 2 weeks and whilst health care professionals are protected by immunisation against this threat most patients are not. Previous studies have shown dental, radiological, and anaesthetic equipment, clean in appearance, to be contaminated with blood. This aim of this study was to determine whether equipment used in ambulances and Emergency Departments in the UK for the management of trauma victims was contaminated with blood.

Equipment from the emergency department of four hospitals (2 trusts) and the ambulances of two separate ambulance services will be tested, including ‘spinal’ boards, hard collars, head blocks, box splints/inflatable/Thomas splints, blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeter probes, tourniquet’s, stethoscope heads, trolleys, ultrasound probes, laryngoscope blades, and bougies. Only equipment considered clean and ready for patient use will be tested. If the equipment is visibly blood stained, testing will not be performed. Equipment will be tested using the Kastle-Meyer technique, which is a highly specific forensic technique used by police to identify occult blood. Preselected areas for each type of equipment will be tested. The areas chosen are those considered by the authors as those most likely to come into contact with the patient.

Results will show the extent of blood contamination, type of equipment most frequently contaminated and highlight areas of equipment most frequently contaminated. Prehospital and hospital equipment contamination will be compared using Fisher’s exact test or χ² test.

A2 NEW SCORING SYSTEM FOR CHILDREN WITH MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE – AMPS (ANTRIM MENINGOCOCCAL PLACEMENT SCORE)

J. Acheson, M. G. Jenkins, C. MaCleod, C. Patterson.

Introduction: Meningococcal disease mortality rates remain high and outcome is heavily dependant on early recognition, prompt treatment, and appropriate placement.

Objectives: Could those children with meningococcal disease, who will require intensive care admission, be identified quickly?

Design: …