training

The GCS, or Glasgow Coma Scale, was described in 1974 by Graham Teasdale and Bryan Jennett (Assessment of coma and impaired consciousness. A practical scale. Lancet 1974; 2:81-4.) as a method of assigning a score, or level, of consciousness…

Pneumothorax (PNX) is a sudden-onset condition characterised by the presence of air in the pleural space (i.e. the virtual space between the two pleural leaflets that line the lung and chest wall)

In medicine, a fracture is the partial or total interruption of the continuity of a bone in the body, caused by trauma (traffic accidents, falls), pathology (tumour) or stress (from repeated microtrauma in a bone with normal mechanical…

Spinal distribution shock: 'shock' in medicine refers to a syndrome, i.e. a set of symptoms and signs, caused by reduced perfusion at a systemic level with an imbalance between oxygen availability and its demand at a tissue level

Airway management in a road accident scenario: knowing how to treat patients in these crisis situations and paying special attention to potential airway problems is essential to provide adequate care

In medicine, 'intubation' refers to a technique that allows the insertion of a tube into the airway - more precisely into the trachea - through the patient's vocal cords with the main purpose of allowing a person who is unable to breathe…

Wasp sting and anaphylactic shock: Before the ambulance crew arrives, the person can do two important things on his or her own, i.e. try to extract the sting by gently 'scratching' with the fingernail at the sting site but being careful not…

Multiple rib fracture, Flail chest (rib volet) and pneumothorax: when a rib fracture is multiple, i.e. affecting several ribs, it can lead to the development of a potentially fatal medical condition, identified by the term 'rib volet'

Basic trauma life support (BTLS): basic trauma life support (hence the acronym SVT) is a rescue protocol generally used by rescuers and aimed at the first treatment of injured persons who have suffered trauma, i.e. an event caused by a…

Triage is a system used in Accident and Emergency Departments (EDAs) to select those involved in accidents according to increasing classes of urgency/emergency, based on the severity of the injuries sustained and their clinical picture