Main description:

The Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee guidelines are the essential resource for paramedics. The 2019 edition of the book has been brought up to date with the latest evidence and developments in clinical practice. JRCALC combines expert advice with practical guidance to help paramedics in their challenging roles with the overall objective of improving patient care.

Key updates are:

*Resuscitation and cardiac arrest. The pathophysiology of cardiac arrest, checklist use and pulseless electrical activity is discussed extensively within the context of every day out of hospital practice. A new guideline on tracheostomy and laryngectomy is included, alongside clinical skills photographs.
*Consent and patient confidentiality. The guideline is brought up to date with the Data Protection Act 2018 following the General Data Protection Regulations.
*Mental health presentation: crisis, distress and disordered behaviour. A reviewed guideline supports the clinician with practical help on the assessment and management of different mental health illnesses.
*Major, complex and high risk Incidents. A revision by the National Ambulance Resilience Unit covers poisons, rail incidents and police incapacitants.
*New medicines are included: Activated charcoal, duodote and morphine sulfate for end of life care.
*Other reviews and updates include: head injury, hyperventilation syndrome, stroke, respiratory illness in children and acute coronary syndrome.

Contents:

Section 1: General Guidance

Consent in Pre-hospital Care

Patient Confidentiality

Pain Management in Adults

Pain Management in Children

Safeguarding Children

Sexual Assault

Safeguarding Adults at Risk

Domestic Abuse

End of Life Care

Death of a Child Including Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infants

Staff Wellbeing and Health

Section 2: Resuscitation

Airway and Breathing Management

Traumatic Cardiac Arrest

Recognition of Life Extinct by Ambulance Clinicians

Adult Basic Life Support

Adult Advanced Life Support

Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, Adult

Basic Life Support, Child

Advanced Life Support, Child

Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, Child

Special Circumstances in Resuscitation

Section 3: Medical

Abdominal Pain

Cardiac Rhythm Disturbance

Altered Level of Consciousness

Dyspnoea

Headache

Mental Disorder

Mental Capacity Act 2005 (England and Wales)

Medical Emergencies in Adults - Overview

Sepsis

Non-Traumatic Chest Pain/Discomfort

Medical Emergencies in Children - Overview

Minor Illness in Children

Febrile Illness in Children

Respiratory Illness in Children

Heat Related Illness

Hyperventilation Syndrome

Hypothermia

Sickle Cell Crisis

Meningococcal Meningitis and Septicaemia

Acute Coronary Syndromes

Allergic Reactions including Anaphylaxis (Adults)

Asthma (Adults)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Adults)

Convulsions (Adults)

Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Glycaemic Emergencies in Adults and Children

Heart Failure

Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator

Overdose and Poisoning (Adults)

Pulmonary Embolism

Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack

Allergic Reactions including Anaphylaxis (Children)

Asthma (Children)

Convulsions (Children)

Childhood Gastroenteritis

Overdose and Poisoning (Children)

Section 4: Trauma

Trauma Emergencies Overview (Adults)

Trauma Emergencies Overview (Children)

Abdominal Trauma

Head Injury

Limb Trauma

Spinal Injury and Spinal Cord Injury

Major Pelvic Trauma

Thoracic Trauma

Falls in Older Adults

Burns and Scalds (Adults)

Burns and Scalds (Children)

Electrical Injuries

Immersion and Drowning

Section 5: Maternity Care

Maternity Care, including Obstetric Emergency Overview

Birth Imminent: Normal Birth and Birth Complications

Care of the Newborn

Haemorrhage During Pregnancy (including Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy)

Pregnancy-induced Hypertension (including Eclampsia)

Vaginal Bleeding: Gynaecological Causes

Maternal Resuscitation

Newborn Life Support

Trauma in Pregnancy

Section 6: Medicines

Drugs Overview

Activated Charcoal

Adrenaline

Amiodarone

Aspirin

Atropine

Benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G)

Chlorphenamine

Clopidogrel

Dexamethasone

Diazepam

Entonox

Furosemide

Glucagon (Glucagen)

Glucose 10%

Glucose 40% Oral Gel

Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN, Suscard)

Heparin

Hydrocortisone

Ibuprofen

Ipratropium Bromide (Atrovent)

Metoclopramide (Maxolon)

Midazolam

Patient's Own Buccal Midazolam for Convulsions

Misoprostol

Morphine Sulphate

Morphine for End of Life Care

Naloxone Hydrochloride (Narcan)

Ondansetron

Oxygen

Paracetamol

Reteplase

Salbutamol

0.9% Sodium Chloride

Sodium Lactate Compound (Hartmann's/Ringer's Lactate)

Syntometrine

Tenecteplase

Tetracaine 4%

Tranexamic Acid

Intravascular Fluid Therapy (Adults)

Intravascular Fluid Therapy (Children)

Section 7: Special Situations

Major, Complex or High Risk Incidents

Police Incapacitants

Atropine

Duodote