Oxford Handbook of Pre-hospital Care (Oxford Handbooks Series)
£17.00
Great book, one massive mistake. - I have found this book hugely useful, really as a handy reference to most of the information that is relevant for care in the pre-hospital environment. Worth having, and worth reading through. One error which others should be aware of is in the chapter on analgesia and anaesthesia.Under morphine, they have put down the paediatric dose as 37.5-75 mg (milligrams)/kg... which must be meant to read micrograms. I hope that it is changed in future editions. Apart from that a good book.
A useful summary of the discipline - I was looking for an all-encompassing text to replace having to lug around the BNF, the resuscitation council guidelines, a book of algorithms, MIMMS, and various other emergency care textbooks to serve as a quick reference guide in the field . Whilst somewhat confusingly it mixes both current and out of date Resus guidelines, it does largely encompass that aim. There is a concise wealth of information on management of both medical emergencies and trauma, including handy summary information on major incidents, the structure and function of various emergency services, notes on emergency planning and scene management, a paediatric section and a formulary. There is a particularly useful section on trauma during pregnancy - missing from a lot of other similarly priced texts. Whilst I don t think it is presented with enough summary quick-reference style algorithms to be my primary reference in an emergency setting, I can see myself finding certain aspects very useful as a reference in a non time-critical setting, and as a good revision guide for higher pre-hospital care exams. As a concise summary-style reference book for the discipline (like all Oxford Handbooks - it assumes you have some knowledge) it represents good value for money.
First Impressions - It is unfortunate that the resuscitation algorithm inside the front cover is not based on the current Resuscitation Council guidelines - I did initially wonder what I had spent my hard earned pennies on!Although I have not had time to fully digest the information contained in this book it appears (apart from the algorithm above) to reflect changes made in the JRCALC guidelines (a publication that must warrant a mention in the suggested reading section on page 64), although the paediatric non-shockable rhythm algorithm on page 529 indicates the use of adrenaline via the ET route - not recommended in JRCALC.Each chapter contains information that is relevant and informative and which should aid in the diagnosis/management of many medical and traumatic conditions - I can imagine myself delving into it s pages on a regular basis, either for information or for verification of diagnosis and/or treatment.Easily distinguishable as one of the Oxford handbook series this book should become a firm favourite with for EMT, Paramedic and ECP personnel and other persons involved in the provision of care in the pre-hospital environment - though if you work to JRCALC or Resuscitation Council guidelines be sure to cross check drugs and protocols are valid.