The Key to improving your clinical practice Acknowledgements 1 Introduction Part 1 PARAMEDIC PRINCIPLES Section 1: Principles of Paramedic Practice 2 The paramedic role in healthcare 3 Characteristics of ambulance patients Section 2 The Paramedics Clinical Approach 4 The structured clinical approach 5 The clinical reasoning process 6 The patient interview Section 3 Patient and Paramedic Safety 7 Patient safety and paramedicine 8 Paramedic health and wellbeing Section 4: Paramedic Education 9 Paramedic education Section 5: Legal and Ethical Considerations 10 Legal and ethical considerations in clinical decision making Section 6: Clinical Reasoning and the Paramedic Model of Practice 11 Developing a philosophy of practice PART 2 ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE Section 18: Essential Concepts of Paramedic Practice 55 Perfusion 56 The autonomic response 57 The inflammatory response PART 3 PARAMEDIC PRACTICE Section 7: The Paramedic Approach to the Patient in an Altered Conscious State 12 Hypoglycaemia 13 Cerebrovascular accidents 14 Overdose 15 Seizures Section 8: The Paramedic Approach to the Patient in Respiratory Distress 16 Airway Obstruction 17 Asthma 18 Acute pulmonary oedema 19 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 20 Pneumothorax 21 Pulmonary embolism 22 Pleural effusion 23 The paediatric patient with a noisy airway Section 9: The Paramedic Approach to the Patient Suffering a Cardia Emergency 24 Chest pain 25 Arrhythmias 26 Cardia arrest Section 10: The Paramedic Approach to the Patient with a Severe Allergic Reaction 27 Anaphylaxis Section 11: The paramedic Approach to the Patient Presenting with Pain 28 Pain 29 Lower back pain 30 Renal colic Section 12: The Paramedic Approach to the Trauma Patient 31 The structured clinical approach to trauma patients 32 Head injuries 33 Chest injuries 34 Musculoskeletal injuries 35 Traumatic spinal injuries 36 Burns Section 13: The Paramedic Approach to the Patient Presenting with Environmental Injury 37 Hypothermia 38 Hyperthermia 39 Decompression injuries 40 Snake bites 41 Spider bites 42 Marine envenomation Section 14: The Paramedic Approach to the Unwell Patient: Specific Challenges to Paramedic Reasoning 43 Acute abdominal pain 44 Sepsis 45 Bleeding from the gastrointestinal and urinary tract Section 15: The Paramedic Approach to Complex Cases: Specific Challenges to Paramedic Reasoning and Management 46 The social isolated patient 47 The dying patient 48 The patient on out-of-hospital dialysis 49 Indigenous Australian patients 50 Maori patients Section 16: The paramedic Approach to the Patient Displaying Abnormal Behaviour 51 The patient displaying abnormal behaviour 52 De-escalation in the pre-hospital environment Section 17: The Paramedic Approach to Obstetric and Neonatal Emergencies 53 Imminent birth 54 Neonatal resuscitation Appendix 1: Professional roel guide Appendix 2: Medications commonly encountered in community emergency health Glossary Index.