Category: Learning

Are You CO Aware?

With the onset of colder weather, many households in the UK are turning on their heating for the first time in months. Heating appliances need chimneys and flues to work safely – and these can block up over the summer months. So autumn is traditionally the period when people get poisoned by carbon monoxide (although it can happen any time of the year!)

Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when anything containing carbon burns or smoulders. For practical purposes, this means the burning of any kind of fuel, commonly:

  • Gas
  • Coal
  • Wood/Paper/Card
  • Oil/Petrol/Diesel – (All UK cars have a ‘catalytic converter’ in the exhaust system, which converts carbon monoxide (CO) to carbon Dioxide (CO2), which is less poisonous. However, these converters need to warmed up – a cold car produces fatal amounts of CO in the exhaust)

CO is very poisonous. Exposure to as little as 300 parts per million (that’s just 0.03%) can prove fatal.

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Knee (Cricket) splints

Used for a several types of knee injury, the knee splint provides support and comfort to the knee joint, whilst allowing for the patient to weight bear as appropriate.

The below indicative video demonstrates application of a leading brand.

The process is very similar with other manufacturers, but the specific manufacturer’s instruction should be adhered to for the splint applied.

Splints should be applied next to the skin, and certainly not over baggy clothing, as this may lead to movement of the splint, not providing the correct support.

Upper GI Bleed (UGIB)

Not normally difficult to spot, but look for it in unexplained anaemia, or collapse.

Questions

  • Is it VARICEAL? Mortality 35%, so is an emergency whatever the GBS is.
  • Non-Variceal what’s the GBS? will help guide treatment

Anyone being admitted should be brought to HRI

Emergency Endoscopy is arranged by Med Reg

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Wool and Crepe Bandaging

Single and Double layer wool and crepe bandaging

Most commonly in the ED setting used to gently restrict movement of a joint, either due to injury of the sturcutres of the joint, or in order prevent stressing of wound closure.

The below shows a double wool and crepe bandage to the knee, which is also known as a Robert Jones bandage, the technique can be applied to other limbs, and for a single layer simply stop after the first layer of bandage is applied.

Robert Jones bandages are useful in the absence of appropriately sized knee splints, or if the patient is unable to tolerate a splint.

Note that although the text of the video states to finish mid-calf the bandage material should be extended past the calf to the top of the ankle as is the practice shown.