Phcworld.org - A Global Resource in Pre-Hospital Care Education and Provision

Bradford City Football Disaster – 1985

phcworld — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 05:57:42 +0000

On Saturday the 11th of May 1985 the Bradford City Football Disaster occurred when a fire broke out in the corner of one side of the Valley Parade football stadium. Within less than 1 minute 30 seconds the area where the fire broke out was completely engulfed in flames and within just 3 minutes the entire length of the stadium was on fire. 56 people lost their lives and many more were injured. Thanks to the bravery of police officers and members of the public of number of people were saved. However, it was a tragic day and highlights the immense dangers of fire and how quickly it can spread.

Major Incidents / Disaster – Topics

phcworld — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 05:55:02 +0000

The below topics look at some major incidents and disasters that have happened around the world. Many people have lost their lives and many more families, friends and others have been deeply affected by these tragic events forever. My hope is that by reviewing these events, emergency service personnel, event planners, doctors and others involved may learn from these major incidents and disasters. I also hope that those who have studied these major incidents and disasters may go on to help and saves the lives of others in the future.

Let us not forget those who have lost their lives…

Dr Nic Sparrow

Disclaimer: The video’s featured in the below topics are the original footage taken at the events. The sole purpose of showing these videos are for educational reasons only. Viewers may find these images disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Bradford Football Disaster (UK) – 1985

Toxicology – Topics

phcworld — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:14:14 +0000

Below is a list of interesting articles and educational videos which have been collated under the topic of toxicology:-

Just one tablet can kill at toddler

‘Just one pill can kill a 10kg toddler’- do you know the list ?

phcworld — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:09:00 +0000

When it comes to toddlers - JUST ONE PILL CAN KILL…

When a concerned parent calls for an ambulance, or brings their child to the emergency department after taking just one pill… make sure you know your toxicology and also phone your local poison control or toxicologist. Below is a list of some of the medications that can kill a small child or toddler in just one or two tablets.

Theophylline 500 mg 1 tab

Tricyclic Antidepressants

Amitriptyline 100 mg 1-2 tabs
Desipramine 150 mg 1-2 tabs
Imipramine 75 mg 1 tab

Calcium Channel Antagonists

Diltiazem 360 mg 1 tab
Verapamil 360 mg 1 tab
Nifedipine 90 mg 1 tab

Anti-arrhythmics

Procainamide 1 g 1 tab
Flecanide 150 mg 1 tab

Sulphonlyureas

Glyburide 2.5 mg 1 tab
Glipizide 5 mg 1 tab

Antimalarials

Hydroxychloroquine 200mg 1 tab
Chloroquine 500mg 1 tab

Narcotics

Morphine 200 mg 1 tab
Methadone 40 mg 1 tab
Codeine 60 mg 1 tab

Other substances

Ingestion of Camphor (present in Tiger Balm & VixVaporRub)
Ingestion of Methyl Salicylate present in Oil of Winter Green
Iron supplements

Further updates to this post coming soon……

Pre-Hospital Care Programs & Resources

phcworld — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 21:06:06 +0000

Pre-Hospital Care provision is rapidly expanding across the world, however in a number of countries this is still a very new concept. In some areas of the world there are no first responders or paramedics, and people have to walk many miles to get to their nearest hospital for emergency treatment.

The aim of this project is to develop a set of resources for first responders, paramedics and doctors who are interested in setting up and developing urban and rural pre-hospital care programs. Frequently these schemes are run by medical professionals who volunteer their time and money to start these schemes. We hope that by linking key people and resources others can learn from those who have gone before them.

Over time we hope to develop the following topics in more detail:-

Starting a Community Response Scheme

- Initiating a Response Scheme can be challenging, and takes considerable thought and determination to set up

- It is important to carefully assess the need for a response scheme before embarking on anything

- Involvement and support from the Governmental Emergency Services is vital to the success of any scheme, even if the scheme is volunteer based or a private buisness

- In areas where there are no Emergency Services, communication with local government officials is essential

- Any scheme needs clear goals and objectives, and a carefully thought out process to establish the level of medical care provision

- It also requires involvement of people who are passionate about patient care and pre-hospital care provision

Responder Qualifications

- Anyone involved in a Community Response Scheme needs to be appropriately trained and qualified

- The level of care provided will depend on an individual’s training / qualifications / scope of practise

- Responders involved in response schemes frequently include:-

a) EMT’s / Paramedics

b) Fire fighters

c) Police Officers

d) First Responders

e) Nurses

f) Doctors

g) Military

- Anyone working within the ‘Pre-Hospital Environment’ requires special training and should be qualified to work within this field of medicine

- Training requirements for working in the pre-hospital arena vary from country to country and also depend on the individual groups involved with a scheme

Pre-Hospital Care Education & Training

- There are a number of organisations who provide pre-hospital courses and ongoing clinical education for those involved with pre-hospital care provision and response work

- The below list is by no means exhaustive, but these organisations and courses can be extremely helpful for individuals wanting to enhance their skill base and knowledge:-

1) The British Association of Immediate Care (BASICS)

2) Anaesthetics Trauma & Critical Care (ATACC)

3) Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS) Course

- Further information about these organisations / courses can be found under our ‘links’ or ‘courses’ pages

Mass Casuality / Disaster Management Training

- Pre-Hospital care providers, whether working as part of a governmental service provider or part of a private / volunteer organisations, need a good working knowledge of the Incident Command System and close networking with other emergency service providers

- Knowledge of the local Triage system and plans for multiple casuality incidents and disaster planning is essential

- Where possible this should be practiced frequently, and all physicians working in the pre-hospital arena should be Incident Command System (ICS) trained

- In the UK, training courses include the MIMMS (Major Incident Medical Management & Support Course) and in the United States course include the IS – 700, ICS-100, ICS-200

- Local hospitals should also be involved with the planning of how to deal with mass casualties and disaster management

- For further information on training courses, please see the links at the bottom of the page.

Clinical Governance & Quality Improvement

- Coming soon !

If you would like to contribute information to this page or submit resources please contact: Dr. Nic Sparrow at info@pre-hospitalcare.co.uk

USEFUL RESOURCES:

Pre-Hospital Schemes

http://www.aimcare.org.uk - A rural pre-hospital care scheme currently being used in Arran, Scotland

Clinical Guidelines

http://www.phecit.ie - Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (Ireland) provides public access to clinical practice guidelines for paramedics. A great resource !

Mass Casuality Incident Training

http://www.alsg.org/uk/ - MIMMS Course (UK)

http://www.fema.gov/nims/ - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) – USA

Pre-Hospital Forums

Pre-Hospital Care Google group - currently hosting discussions on this topic

Members of the public rescue motorcyclist for fiery wreck

phcworld — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:57:24 +0000

A 21 year old male, Brandon Wright, had his life saved when members of the public rushed to his aid as he lay unconscious under a burning BMW. He broke both his legs and pelvis but survived.

New York Volunteer Fire Fighter shot at MVA

phcworld — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 03:19:11 +0000

ER24

phcworld — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 06:04:53 +0000

A great organisation that first hand I have seen in action. Keep up the good work.

Dr. Nic Sparrow

Bus Crash in South Africa, Free State – 20 dead and 10 critically injured

phcworld — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 05:12:11 +0000

According to South Africa news reports at least 20 people were killed when a bus left the R26 road between Bethlehem and Fouriesburg in the Free State. This occurred on Saturday 15th of January. SABC News reports a tire burst and the bus left the road, plunging into a river.

Many of the injured were taken to Dihlabeng hospital in Bethlehem, Free State.

Further news will be reported when available…

Two paramedics died when ambulance plunged into Kennedy Lake, B.C

phcworld — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:08:46 +0000

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of the BC Ambulance Service paramedics who died serving their community.