The article is incorrect when it states that "... in 2015, the Queen granted the college its royal charter. True independence had at last been gained ..." A glance at the footer of any printed communication sent on the college's official notepaper will reveal that the College of Emergency Medicine (as it was then named) was, in fact, incorporated by royal charter in 2008. The Privy Council granted the college its royal seal on 29 February that year, giving the college its autonomous legal identity. It had previously separated from its six parent colleges in 2006, by means of the Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine reconstituting itself as a limited company under the new name.
The title "Royal" is a separate matter; it is not conferred by the Privy Council, and does not necessarily imply that the organisation holds a Royal Charter. It is instead a mark of favour, granted with the permission of the monarch but in practice conferred on the advice of the Ministry of Justice and, latterly, the Royal Names Team at the Cabinet Office. The process is somewhat opaque, and the CEM (as it then was) had begun seeking the royal appellation as early as 2009. Other newer medical colleges in the UK have experienced similar lag periods between their promotion to full college status and the conferral of the royal title.
It is worth noting that royal patronage is yet another concept; the Princess Royal has served as the college's patron sinc...
The article is incorrect when it states that "... in 2015, the Queen granted the college its royal charter. True independence had at last been gained ..." A glance at the footer of any printed communication sent on the college's official notepaper will reveal that the College of Emergency Medicine (as it was then named) was, in fact, incorporated by royal charter in 2008. The Privy Council granted the college its royal seal on 29 February that year, giving the college its autonomous legal identity. It had previously separated from its six parent colleges in 2006, by means of the Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine reconstituting itself as a limited company under the new name.
The title "Royal" is a separate matter; it is not conferred by the Privy Council, and does not necessarily imply that the organisation holds a Royal Charter. It is instead a mark of favour, granted with the permission of the monarch but in practice conferred on the advice of the Ministry of Justice and, latterly, the Royal Names Team at the Cabinet Office. The process is somewhat opaque, and the CEM (as it then was) had begun seeking the royal appellation as early as 2009. Other newer medical colleges in the UK have experienced similar lag periods between their promotion to full college status and the conferral of the royal title.
It is worth noting that royal patronage is yet another concept; the Princess Royal has served as the college's patron since 2008, and it was she who ceremonially presented the college with its new royal charter on 1 October 2008.
Do the authors have data on the type of analgesia that was provided, that would enable a secondary analysis with the outcome of "time to APPROPRIATE analgesia"? Whilst there was no statistical difference on the time to first analgesia, it is possible that using an observational score will enable a clinician to provide more appropriate (stronger) analgesia to non-verbal elderly patients with long bone fractures, which would be a valuable intervention.
We would like to comment of the use of waveform capnography (WC) as an adjunct to help determine adequate paralysis during rapid sequence induction (RSI). The article used recognition of apnoea by loss of WC as an early indicator of muscle paralysis and evidence was presented that this method improved first pass success rates and reduced time to intubation for RSI in an emergency setting.
Although apnoea can be a useful indicator for the presence of paralysis we would suggest that use of a peripheral nerve stimulator is a more accurate tool for determining when muscle relaxants have produced an adequate effect. The use of this simple and relatively inexpensive machine is standard practice for anaesthetists in determining the level of paralysis. It is also viewed as a standard for provision of anaesthesia outside of the operating theatre environment (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland: Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery, 2015, Page 8). We suggest from clinical experience that apnoea alone does not always reflect adequate muscle relaxation to allow for optimal intubating conditions. Reactive vocal cords may be present despite apparent correct dosing and timing of muscle relaxants. In addition, apnoea and loss of WC could possibly be a reflection of respiratory depression due to administration of the anaesthetic induction agent, opiods or a deteriorating clinical condition.
We would like to comment of the use of waveform capnography (WC) as an adjunct to help determine adequate paralysis during rapid sequence induction (RSI). The article used recognition of apnoea by loss of WC as an early indicator of muscle paralysis and evidence was presented that this method improved first pass success rates and reduced time to intubation for RSI in an emergency setting.
Although apnoea can be a useful indicator for the presence of paralysis we would suggest that use of a peripheral nerve stimulator is a more accurate tool for determining when muscle relaxants have produced an adequate effect. The use of this simple and relatively inexpensive machine is standard practice for anaesthetists in determining the level of paralysis. It is also viewed as a standard for provision of anaesthesia outside of the operating theatre environment (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland: Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery, 2015, Page 8). We suggest from clinical experience that apnoea alone does not always reflect adequate muscle relaxation to allow for optimal intubating conditions. Reactive vocal cords may be present despite apparent correct dosing and timing of muscle relaxants. In addition, apnoea and loss of WC could possibly be a reflection of respiratory depression due to administration of the anaesthetic induction agent, opiods or a deteriorating clinical condition.
We recognise that some Emergency Medicine doctors may not be familiar with the use of nerve stimulators and that they may not be readily available within all Emergency Departments. We suggest that Emergency Departments should consider keeping a peripheral nerve stimulator as standard equipment. We would argue that this would then permit clinicians who are familiar with their use to have a more objective ability to determine depth of muscle relaxation during RSI, leading to improved intubating conditions.
Sir,
You articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that...
Sir,
You articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that result from increased numbers and intensities of events linked to climate change.
Although first aid has traditionally been seen as an emergency response intervention, we have developed a ‘chain of survival behaviour’ being explicit about the role of preparation for interventions to be effective (www.ifrc.org/Global/Publications/Health/First-Aid-2016-Guidelines_EN.pdf).
This approach is now embedded across our education programmes and forms a literal and practical link between public health and emergency response, in an endeavour to bring greater recognition to their essential juxtaposition to support individual and community resilience.
Emily Oliver, Senior Education Research Manager, British Red Cross
Dr Pascal Cassan, Head, Global First Aid Reference Centre, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Lemery J, Peering through the hourglass Emerg Med J Published Online First: 09 February 2017. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2016-206500
I congratulate the authors on their research. It is important to highlight that the Manchester triage system does incorporate shock or low blood pressure into its flow charts. It is described in the general discriminator text and flow chart. Any patients who are shocked should be triaged into priority one, if following the rules of MTS.
Therefore in this study all 9 of the 26 patients with a blood pressure of less than 90 mmHg should have been triaged into priority one, according to the rules of MTS. If these patients had been triaged in this way, the results of your study could be significantly affected.
We look forward to seeing further research from your selves in this area
We read with interest the recent Best Evidence Topic (BET) report by L Varley and L Howard, ‘Trendelenburg position helps to cardiovert patients in SVT back to sinus rhythm.’[1] We are grateful that this BET highlighted the substantial benefit of using a postural modification to the Valsalva manoeuvre for re-entrant SVT[2]. However, whist we agree with the ‘Clinical Bottom Line’, we feel the title of this BET was misleading and does not reflect current evidence.
‘Trendelenburg position’ is typically used to describe a supine patient with the bed tilted head down below the level of the pelvis.[3] Although this position was associated with a higher rate of cardioversion in a small, uncontrolled before and after study[4], no physiological benefits of this position have been demonstrated[5] and it was not used in the REVERT trial, the largest RCT of VM modification to date.
For clarification, in our study the Valsalva strain was conducted in the semi-sitting position with movement to the supine position with leg elevation, immediately at the end of the strain. There are plausible physiological reasons why this specific sequence of postural changes and timing of strain may improve Valsalva effectiveness as described in our paper. Although it is possible that Trendelenburg positioning after straining might further improve cardioversion rates, this has not been tested to date.
We read with interest the recent Best Evidence Topic (BET) report by L Varley and L Howard, ‘Trendelenburg position helps to cardiovert patients in SVT back to sinus rhythm.’[1] We are grateful that this BET highlighted the substantial benefit of using a postural modification to the Valsalva manoeuvre for re-entrant SVT[2]. However, whist we agree with the ‘Clinical Bottom Line’, we feel the title of this BET was misleading and does not reflect current evidence.
‘Trendelenburg position’ is typically used to describe a supine patient with the bed tilted head down below the level of the pelvis.[3] Although this position was associated with a higher rate of cardioversion in a small, uncontrolled before and after study[4], no physiological benefits of this position have been demonstrated[5] and it was not used in the REVERT trial, the largest RCT of VM modification to date.
For clarification, in our study the Valsalva strain was conducted in the semi-sitting position with movement to the supine position with leg elevation, immediately at the end of the strain. There are plausible physiological reasons why this specific sequence of postural changes and timing of strain may improve Valsalva effectiveness as described in our paper. Although it is possible that Trendelenburg positioning after straining might further improve cardioversion rates, this has not been tested to date.
Yours sincerely
On behalf of the REVERT study Team
References:
1) L Varley, L Howard BET 2: Trendelenburg position helps to cardiovert patients in SVT back to sinus rhythm EMJ 2017 page 189; 34: 189-190 DOI: 10.1136/emermed-2017-206590.2
2) Appelboam A, Reuben A, Mann C, et al; REVERT Trial Collaborators. Postural modification to the standard Valsalva manoeuvre for emergency treatment of supraventricular tachycardias (REVERT): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 201531.;386:1747–53.
3) Willy Meyer (1854-1932), in [von Langenbeck’s] Archiv für klinische Chirurgie, Berlin, 1885, 31: 495-525.
4) Walker S, Cutting P. Impact of a modified Valsalva manoeuvre in the termination of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Emergency Medicine Journal 2010;27:287-291
5) Smith G, Broek A, Taylor DM, et al. Identification of the optimum vagal manoeuvre technique for maximising vagal tone. Emerg Med J 2015;32:51-54.
Sir,
You articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that...
Sir,
You articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that result from increased numbers and intensities of events linked to climate change.
Although first aid has traditionally been seen as an emergency response intervention, we have developed a ‘chain of survival behaviour’ being explicit about the role of preparation for interventions to be effective (www.ifrc.org/Global/Publications/Health/First-Aid-2016-Guidelines_EN.pdf).
This approach is now embedded across our education programmes and forms a literal and practical link between public health and emergency response, in an endeavour to bring greater recognition to their essential juxtaposition to support individual and community resilience.
Emily Oliver, Senior Education Research Manager, British Red Cross
Dr Pascal Cassan, Head, Global First Aid Reference Centre, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Lemery J, Peering through the hourglass Emerg Med J Published Online First: 09 February 2017. doi: 10.1136/emermed-2016-206500
It would be useful to know the Total number of traumatic cardiac
arrests treated by the system during these three years. Hard to draw
conclusions on effectiveness without this figure. Also note different
results in the paper Chiang W-C et all on the next page of the journal.
(Emerg Med J 2017; 34: 39-45).
In your intersting RCT of propofol versus midazolam sedation, you
describe giving a fentanyl dose of 3mcg/kg, in conjunction with a titrated
dose of propofol or midazolam.
This appears a pretty large dose, compared to the procedural sedation
literature, where the usual dose is 1 mcg/kg (min-max 0.5-2.0).[1-2]
From previous research with propofol and midazolam in the Emergency
Depa...
In your intersting RCT of propofol versus midazolam sedation, you
describe giving a fentanyl dose of 3mcg/kg, in conjunction with a titrated
dose of propofol or midazolam.
This appears a pretty large dose, compared to the procedural sedation
literature, where the usual dose is 1 mcg/kg (min-max 0.5-2.0).[1-2]
From previous research with propofol and midazolam in the Emergency
Department, adverse event rate is between 4 and 30%, and around 11% in a
1711 patient cohort.[3] If your fentanyl dose of 3 mcg/kg is indeed
correct, I'm curious how you succeeded to have no patients with a
respiratory depression.
kind regards,
dr. Gael Smits, Emergency Physician
1. Hohl CM, Sadatsafavi M, Nosyk B, et al. Safety and clinical
effectiveness of midazolam versus propofol for procedural sedation in the
emergency department: a systematic review. Acad Emerg Med 2008;15:1-8.
doi:10.1111/j.1553-2712.2007.00022.x
2. Kuypers MI, Mencl F, Verhagen MF, et al. Safety and efficacy of
procedural sedation with propofol in a country with a young emergency
medicine training program. Eur J Emerg Med 2011;18:162-7.
doi:10.1097/MEJ.0b013e32834230fb
3. Smits GJ, Kuypers MI, Mignot LA, et al. Procedural sedation in the
emergency department by Dutch emergency physicians: a prospective
multicentre observational study of 1711 adults. 2016;:1-6.
doi:10.1136/emermed
We thank the authors Challen and Roland for their review (1) which
highlights a very important issue faced daily in our Emergency
Departments.
The use of, and more importantly, reliance on the Early Warning Score
(EWS) carries risk as up to 1:3 patients admitted to ICU from ED will not
score highly on the EWS (2). Clinician opinion may prove a superior
assessment tool; this is not adequately explored. Experien...
We thank the authors Challen and Roland for their review (1) which
highlights a very important issue faced daily in our Emergency
Departments.
The use of, and more importantly, reliance on the Early Warning Score
(EWS) carries risk as up to 1:3 patients admitted to ICU from ED will not
score highly on the EWS (2). Clinician opinion may prove a superior
assessment tool; this is not adequately explored. Experienced nurse and
medical clinicians may be well tuned to using clinical judgement alongside
EWS, however more junior staff may be led into a false sense of security
by low scores and ignore their own gestalt.
We conducted a pilot study in our Emergency Department (ED) a few
years ago (3) which compared the use of the MEWS (Modified Early Warning
Score) with the results of a point of care blood gas analysed as EWS for
deviation from normal.
What we found was that the blood gas score was independently able to
predict imminent organ failure and death (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.13-1.62,
P=0.001, and OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.13-2.69, P=0.01, respectively), proving
superior to MEWS which failed to do so in multivariate analysis.
Identifying critical illness is a core skill for Emergency Medicine.
Simple physiological scoring is widely supported despite a lack of data
from Emergency Departments. The role of these scores in identifying
patients safe for discharge also requires further study. Practical scoring
systems, perhaps including a point of care metabolic panel, should be
developed and validated for use in the ED.
1. Challen K, Roland D. Early warning scores: a health warning. Emerg
Med J. 2016.
2. Subbe CP, Slater A, Menon D, Gemmell L. Validation of
physiological scoring systems in the accident and emergency department.
Emerg Med J2006;23:841-845
3. Jafar AJ, Junghans C, Kwok CS, Hymers C, Monk KJ, Gold E, et al.
Do physiological scoring and a novel point of care metabolic screen
predict 48-h outcome in admissions from the emergency department
resuscitation area? Eur J Emerg Med. 2016;23(2):130-6.
The article is incorrect when it states that "... in 2015, the Queen granted the college its royal charter. True independence had at last been gained ..." A glance at the footer of any printed communication sent on the college's official notepaper will reveal that the College of Emergency Medicine (as it was then named) was, in fact, incorporated by royal charter in 2008. The Privy Council granted the college its royal seal on 29 February that year, giving the college its autonomous legal identity. It had previously separated from its six parent colleges in 2006, by means of the Faculty of Accident and Emergency Medicine reconstituting itself as a limited company under the new name.
The title "Royal" is a separate matter; it is not conferred by the Privy Council, and does not necessarily imply that the organisation holds a Royal Charter. It is instead a mark of favour, granted with the permission of the monarch but in practice conferred on the advice of the Ministry of Justice and, latterly, the Royal Names Team at the Cabinet Office. The process is somewhat opaque, and the CEM (as it then was) had begun seeking the royal appellation as early as 2009. Other newer medical colleges in the UK have experienced similar lag periods between their promotion to full college status and the conferral of the royal title.
It is worth noting that royal patronage is yet another concept; the Princess Royal has served as the college's patron sinc...
Show MoreDo the authors have data on the type of analgesia that was provided, that would enable a secondary analysis with the outcome of "time to APPROPRIATE analgesia"? Whilst there was no statistical difference on the time to first analgesia, it is possible that using an observational score will enable a clinician to provide more appropriate (stronger) analgesia to non-verbal elderly patients with long bone fractures, which would be a valuable intervention.
We would like to comment of the use of waveform capnography (WC) as an adjunct to help determine adequate paralysis during rapid sequence induction (RSI). The article used recognition of apnoea by loss of WC as an early indicator of muscle paralysis and evidence was presented that this method improved first pass success rates and reduced time to intubation for RSI in an emergency setting.
Although apnoea can be a useful indicator for the presence of paralysis we would suggest that use of a peripheral nerve stimulator is a more accurate tool for determining when muscle relaxants have produced an adequate effect. The use of this simple and relatively inexpensive machine is standard practice for anaesthetists in determining the level of paralysis. It is also viewed as a standard for provision of anaesthesia outside of the operating theatre environment (Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland: Recommendations for standards of monitoring during anaesthesia and recovery, 2015, Page 8). We suggest from clinical experience that apnoea alone does not always reflect adequate muscle relaxation to allow for optimal intubating conditions. Reactive vocal cords may be present despite apparent correct dosing and timing of muscle relaxants. In addition, apnoea and loss of WC could possibly be a reflection of respiratory depression due to administration of the anaesthetic induction agent, opiods or a deteriorating clinical condition.
We recognise that some Em...
Show MoreSir,
Show MoreYou articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that...
Dear Sirs,
I congratulate the authors on their research. It is important to highlight that the Manchester triage system does incorporate shock or low blood pressure into its flow charts. It is described in the general discriminator text and flow chart. Any patients who are shocked should be triaged into priority one, if following the rules of MTS.
Therefore in this study all 9 of the 26 patients with a blood pressure of less than 90 mmHg should have been triaged into priority one, according to the rules of MTS. If these patients had been triaged in this way, the results of your study could be significantly affected.
We look forward to seeing further research from your selves in this area
Kind Regards
Laura
Dear Sir,
We read with interest the recent Best Evidence Topic (BET) report by L Varley and L Howard, ‘Trendelenburg position helps to cardiovert patients in SVT back to sinus rhythm.’[1] We are grateful that this BET highlighted the substantial benefit of using a postural modification to the Valsalva manoeuvre for re-entrant SVT[2]. However, whist we agree with the ‘Clinical Bottom Line’, we feel the title of this BET was misleading and does not reflect current evidence.
‘Trendelenburg position’ is typically used to describe a supine patient with the bed tilted head down below the level of the pelvis.[3] Although this position was associated with a higher rate of cardioversion in a small, uncontrolled before and after study[4], no physiological benefits of this position have been demonstrated[5] and it was not used in the REVERT trial, the largest RCT of VM modification to date.
For clarification, in our study the Valsalva strain was conducted in the semi-sitting position with movement to the supine position with leg elevation, immediately at the end of the strain. There are plausible physiological reasons why this specific sequence of postural changes and timing of strain may improve Valsalva effectiveness as described in our paper. Although it is possible that Trendelenburg positioning after straining might further improve cardioversion rates, this has not been tested to date.
Yours sincerely
On behalf of the REVERT study Team
...Show MoreSir,
Show MoreYou articulate and document the catalogue of evidence supporting the health impacts of climate change admirably in your editorial ‘Peering through the hourglass’ (Lemery, 2017), but the Emergency Medicine world is not as disconnected as you make out. The Red Cross Movement, known traditionally for its humanitarian action, has long had expert emergency medicine at the heart of its work on preparedness for crisis, including natural disasters such as those precipitated by climate change.
Our international First Aid and Resuscitation Guidelines (IFRC, 2016) are based soundly on science and support the interventions of lay responders and medical professionals across the globe. Our Global First Aid app is now used in 90 countries, bespoke to each one through careful translation and cultural relevance. The British Red Cross, American Red Cross and others have developed their own additional apps, specific to the disasters that might occur, such as flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes. These, too, are rooted in clinical science and educational methodology supporting the public to learn, be prepared and be resilient.
Beyond technology, our thousands of staff and volunteers across the world work closely with local authorities in their planning for natural disasters, ensuring systems are in place to cope with the practical realities, as well as the humanitarian care needed for those affected. This work inevitably draws attention to the humanitarian crises that...
It would be useful to know the Total number of traumatic cardiac arrests treated by the system during these three years. Hard to draw conclusions on effectiveness without this figure. Also note different results in the paper Chiang W-C et all on the next page of the journal. (Emerg Med J 2017; 34: 39-45).
Conflict of Interest:
None declared
Dear authors,
In your intersting RCT of propofol versus midazolam sedation, you describe giving a fentanyl dose of 3mcg/kg, in conjunction with a titrated dose of propofol or midazolam.
This appears a pretty large dose, compared to the procedural sedation literature, where the usual dose is 1 mcg/kg (min-max 0.5-2.0).[1-2]
From previous research with propofol and midazolam in the Emergency Depa...
We thank the authors Challen and Roland for their review (1) which highlights a very important issue faced daily in our Emergency Departments.
The use of, and more importantly, reliance on the Early Warning Score (EWS) carries risk as up to 1:3 patients admitted to ICU from ED will not score highly on the EWS (2). Clinician opinion may prove a superior assessment tool; this is not adequately explored. Experien...
Pages