Pain assessment and management
Definitions A widely used definition of pain is: ‘… an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage’.11 This…
Assessment and management of wounds and burns
Definitions A wound is defined as a break in an organ or tissue caused by an external agent; this can be divided into seven broad categories2 that will be discussed…
Infection control
Definitions Infection control is the application of standard principles to prevent health-care associated infections (HCAI) and is essential in the reduction of HCAI. Asepsis is described as the state of…
Needle thoracocentesis
Definitions Needle thoracocentesis involves placing a wide-bore cannula into the mid-clavicular line of the second intercostal space, just above the third rib, in order to decompress a tension pneumothorax.1 Normally,…
Moving and handling procedures
Definitions The risks associated with manual handling have been recognised by the Ambulance Service Association and the Health and Safety Executive who state: ‘Any work activity that involves lifting, pushing,…
Spinal management
Relevant gross anatomy Please also refer to an appropriate anatomy textbook (see reference 3). The spinal cord is approximately 42–45 cm in length and extends from the foramen magnum to…
Defibrillation
Definition of defibrillation Defibrillation is the only effective therapy for cardiac arrest caused by ventricular fibrillation and can be defined as an attempt to depolarise a critical mass of the…
Neurological observations and examination techniques
Definitions Neurological observations are those investigations and examination that relate to the assessment of the nervous system. These commonly focus upon six key areas: Level of consciousness Pupillary activity Motor…
Drug administration
Definitions The definition of a drug is complex and depends to a certain extent upon who is being asked to define the term. In medicine, the World Health Organization suggest…
Documentation and record keeping
Definitions The Data Protection Act 19981 defines a health record as: ‘any information relating to the physical or mental health or condition of an individual that has been made by…
