…the face or perianally. Indications Fluctuant, tender, erythematous and indurated swelling in the skin or subcutis. Pilonidal abscess, hidradenitis abscess and paronychia with a collection…

…haemolysis or bleeding Ferritin 15–300 µg/L (women 10–150) An acute phase protein — a normal ferritin does not exclude iron deficiency in the…

…deceased — in the donation register, on a donor card, or through statements made to the next of kin. Active malignancy with a risk of transmission…

…insulin in a person with type 1 diabetes , not even before fasting or an investigation. Stopping it leads to ketoacidosis within hours. Treatment with correction…

…mask: A rescue airway when intubation has failed and bag mask ventilation is difficult or inadequate. The primary airway in cardiac arrest when the person…

…or more with continuing bleeding, or a smaller measured blood loss if there is physiological compromise. Do not wait for hypotension in young, pregnant or…

…that bradycardia due to dysfunction in the sinoatrial node is referred to as sinus node dysfunction (SND). If a person with ECG signs of SND…

…activity or environmental stresses such as heat, humidity, altitude or wind. A gradual progression is particularly important in previously sedentary individuals and those with chronic…

…if a tracheal tube cannot be established. Nasopharyngeal airways may cause complications in patients with skull fractures (risk of intracranial malposition of the tube) or…

…including laypeople. As shown in Table 1, BLS is an exceptionally effective treatment, with a very low number needed to treat (NNT), indicating high effectiveness…

…first recorded ECG) is a very strong predictor of survival. This is because cardiac arrest presenting with ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT…

…that bradycardia due to dysfunction in the sinoatrial node is referred to as sinus node dysfunction (SND). If a person with ECG signs of SND…

…Figure 3. Premature ventricular contractions in bigeminy. Two consecutive premature ventricular contractions are referred to as a pair or couplet. If 3 to 30 premature…

…a similar state with downregulated metabolism, which is presumed to explain why neuronal cell death begins within 5–6 minutes (Lipton et al). Survival in…

…not a normal finding among older individuals. In that scenario it might be explained by myocardial ischemia (affecting the sinoatrial node), sinus node dysfunction or…

…not exclude a disabling deficit, for example aphasia, hemianopia or hand paresis in a person of working age Blood pressure Measure initially in both arms…

…carbohydrate or glucagon. In a person without diabetes, a hypoglycaemic disorder is defined primarily by Whipple's triad : 1. Symptoms or signs consistent with hypoglycaemia…

…with an effect equivalent to sedation and fewer adverse effects Digital nerve block The standard in finger dislocation Procedural sedation Propofol, ketamine or a combination…

…not already have a condition conferring sufficiently high cardiovascular risk. They should not be applied as the principal risk tool in people with: Documented atherosclerotic…

…Agatston score Calcium score in each coronary vessel Age , sex , and race based percentile Comparison with the expected score for a person of the same…

…exertion 8 9 Very light exertion For a healthy person, 9 is equivalent to walking slowly at his or her own pace for some minutes…

…Table 1: Myocardial and ECG reaction in various settings with ischemia or increased workload STATUS OF CORONARY ARTERY SETTING EFFECT ECG REACTION Normal coronary artery…

…arrest and alert the EMS (in OHCA) or cardiac arrest team (in IHCA). There are no risks in instructing a layperson to perform chest compressions…

…in any situation. ECG features of ventricular fibrillation The ECG shows irregular waves with varying morphology and amplitude. No P wave, QRS complex or T…

…or pulmonary embolism is often a reversible arrhythmia with low risk of recurrence. Atrial fibrillation in other circumstances (particularly those listed above) is usually a…

…circuit (a large re entry circuit) and re entry circuits are vulnerable processes that usually self terminate within minutes, hours, or days. In the vast…

…persons who do not suffer from heart failure, chronotropic incompetence may be caused by beta blockers, amiodarone or digitalis. Sinus node dysfunction (SND) is a…

…interval is prolonged after a premature beat). This yields more time to fill the ventricles with blood (increased ventricular filling). Persons with premature beats might…

…address the need for a standardized method to evaluate the anatomical complexity of CAD, particularly in patients with multivessel disease or left main coronary artery…

…will have a left bundle branch block morphology. However, left bundle branch block morphology is more common (regardless of heart rate) among persons with heart…

…or with dyspnea, nausea, unexplained weakness, or a combination of these symptoms. The diagnosis requires elevated levels of cardiac troponins. In addition to elevated troponins…

…rS complexes. Causes of left anterior fascicular block (LAFB) LAFB may occur in persons who are otherwise healthy. The majority of those with LAFB, however…

…is accompanied with a sensation, which threatens instant death if the motion is persisted in; and, that on stopping, the distress immediately abates, or altogether…

…therapy. It is very common that patients with bradycardia have a strong indication for drugs that aggravate or even cause the bradycardia; in such scenarios…