A comprehensive step-by-step colour guide to nearly 100 procedures carried out in a modern accident & emergency department, updated text and 250 colour photographs. The procedures are grouped into five categories. Each procedure is described in a straightforward fashion, starting with a consideration of its uses, followed by the equipment needed, the carrying out of the procedure itself, and finishing with pertinent advice to give to patients who have undergone the procedure. Practical Procedures in the Emergency Department will be invaluable to all those who carry out emergency patient procedures whether in a hospital, hospice, GP practice or home setting. It will also be of special interest to paramedics and ambulance crew.

Introduction. Supporting, strapping and splinting. Hard cervical collar. Elasticated tubular support to the elbow. Elasticated tubular support to the wrist. Crepe bandage to the wrist. Wrist brace. Thumb spica. Neighbour ('buddy') strapping. Mallet splint. Broad arm (triangular) sling. High sling. Collar-and-cuff. Elasticated tubular support to the knee. Elasticated tubular support to the ankle. Wool and crepe bandage to the knee. Wool and crepe bandage to the ankle. Metatarsal brace. Toe spica. Application of skin extensions. Thomas's splint. Traction splint. Spinal immobilization using a backboard (including log rolling). Walking aids. Plastering techniques. Plasters. The patient in plaster. Removal of plasters. U-slab plaster. Above-elbow backslab plaster. Below-elbow backslab plaster. Plaster for Colles' fracture. Plaster for Smith's fracture. Plaster for a fracture of the scaphoid bone. Plaster for Bennett's fracture. Plaster cylinder. Above-knee backslab plaster. Above-knee plaster. Below-knee backslab plaster. Below-knee plaster. Wound care. Wound irrigation and cleansing (wound toilet). Dry dressing. Dressing to a finger or toe. Pressure dressing to the head. Pressure dressing to a limb. Pressure dressing to a finger. Zinc paste and ichthammol bandage. Burns dressing to a hand, using silver sulfadiazine cream and a burn bag. Suture materials and suturing techniques. Skin-closure strips. Tissue adhesive. Hair ties. Incision and drainage of an abscess. Packing of wounds. Wound care products, including topical antiseptic solutions. Emergency procedures. Maintenance of the airway. Mouth-to-mouth ventilation. Mouth-to-nose ventilation. Insertion of an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway. Manual ventilation. Relief of choking. Endotracheal intubatio. Needle cricothyroidotomy. Surgical cricothyroidotomy. External cardiac compression. Recording an electrocardiograph. Defibrillation. Paediatric emergencies. Venous blood sampling. Arterial blood sampling. Intravenous injection. Intravenous cannulation and infusion. Cannulation of a central vein. Venous cut-down. Intraosseous infusion. Dressing for an open wound of the chest. Needle thoracocentesis. Insertion of a chest drain. Pericardiocentesis. Diagnostic peritoneal lavage. Miscellaneous procedures. Local anaesthesia by infiltration. Bier's block (intravenous regional anaesthesia). Haematoma block. Digital nerve block. Femoral nerve block. Analgesia with nitrous oxide/oxygen. Irrigation of the eye. Removal of a foreign body from the eye. Removal of a foreign body from the ear. Removal of a foreign body from the nose. Nasal packing with an expanding foam tampon. Catheterization of the male bladder. Catheterization of the female bladder. Removal of rings. Trephining a nail. Aspiration of the knee. Gastric lavage. Passing a nasogastric (Ryle's) tube. Index

By John Bache, FRCS, FFAEM, Consultant in Accident & Emergency, Accident & Emergency Department, Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Cheshire; Carolyn Armitt, RGN, TNCC(P), Nurse Practitioner, Brook Medical Centre, Stoke-on-Trent; and Cathy Gadd, RGN, TNCC(P), APLS(l), Nurse Practitioner, Accident & Emergency Department, Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Cheshire