Basic Resuscitation and Primary Care

Provision of efficient resuscitation is mandatory to the success­ ful functioning of all hospital wards and departments. Failure to provide such a service increases morbidity and mortality. Resuscita­ tion falls largely into the domain of the anaesthetist. However, an anaesthetist is not always instantly available and resuscitation has to be initiated by those in other specialities who have had little or no for­ mal training in resuscitation techniques. The purpose of this book is to guide those involved in resuscitation in the indications and methods of resuscitation. Its creation and con­ tents were stimulated by noting the difficulties encountered in both teaching centres and provincial hospitals. 'Basic' is included in the title to emphasize that, with the exception of 'the acid-base laboratory', the apparatus is simple and available in all hospitals. Furthermore, 'basic' indicates the authors' intention to limit their discussion on resuscitation to that involved in the first hour following the start of treatment. Successful treatment during these 60 minutes, and very often the first few minutes, is often vital in the sav­ ing of life. Further management can then be decided by the ap­ propriate specialist. Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-3 Front Matter....Pages 5-5 Cardiac arrest and arrhythmias....Pages 7-20 Pulmonary embolism....Pages 21-24 Management of left ventricular failure....Pages 25-26 Acute self-poisoning, bites and stings....Pages 27-39 Disorders of temperature regulation....Pages 40-46 Endocrine emergencies....Pages 47-53 Status epilepticus and the control of violent patients....Pages 54-56 The rapid reduction of hypertension (high blood pressure)....Pages 57-59 Pulmonary emergencies....Pages 60-71 The initial assessment and treatment of multiple injuries....Pages 72-74 Head injuries and the unconscious patient....Pages 75-87 Chest and other injuries....Pages 88-95 Initial treatment in burns....Pages 96-98 Patients requiring urgent pain relief....Pages 99-101 Complications of spinal and epidural analgesia requiring urgent treatment....Pages 102-104 Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia....Pages 105-108 Neonatal resuscitation....Pages 109-117 Front Matter....Pages 119-119 Terminology....Pages 121-132 Basic equipment — resuscitation bags and circuits....Pages 133-146 Front Matter....Pages 119-119 The reservoir bag — its use in spontaneous and controlled ventilation....Pages 147-161 Ventilators....Pages 162-170 Endotracheal intubation....Pages 171-186 Intravenous anaesthetics....Pages 187-191 Neuromuscular blocking drugs....Pages 192-200 Respiratory obstruction....Pages 201-207 Respiratory pathophysiology....Pages 208-222 Respiratory failure....Pages 223-227 Front Matter....Pages 229-229 Physiology of the heart and circulation....Pages 231-239 Shock and its treatment....Pages 240-264 Blood transfusion, bleeding, and plasma substitutes....Pages 265-273 Practical techniques....Pages 274-285 Front Matter....Pages 287-287 Acid—base laboratory (analyser) readouts—terminology....Pages 289-313 Changes in pH and their interpretation....Pages 314-320 SI units used in resuscitation—moles, pascals and joules....Pages 321-332 Back Matter....Pages 333-339