OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS
Oxford Handbook of Pre-Hospital Care
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First Edition published in 2007
Second Edition published in 2021
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Foreword
The importance of good pre-hospital care in the most seriously ill or injured cannot be overemphasized because the most effective in-hospital care may be ineffective if patients are delivered to hospital in a poor state. Pre-hospital care is rapidly evolving and standards are constantly improving resulting in more consistent, high-quality care. Although much of the work we do is predictable, the pre-hospital workspace will regularly challenge and surprise us. That is one of the reasons why we continue to recruit high-quality clinicians to this sometimes arduous area of practice. The second edition of this Oxford Handbook is timely. It reflects the considerable changes in treatments, techniques, new technologies, and improved training that have emerged since the first edition in 2007. Not least, in the intervening period, Pre-hospital Emergency Medicine has become a recognized sub-speciality in the UK. This book provides comprehensive information on the commonly encountered emergencies in pre-hospital care like cardiac arrest and trauma. Less common things may generate more anxiety, and just as importantly, we are provided with the knowledge to manage less commonly encountered clinical situations like obstetric and paediatric emergencies and major incidents.
Pre-hospital practitioners tend to be practical people. They want to know what works best, how they can alter practice to reflect evidence and guidelines, and how to deliver the best care without missing anything. The Oxford Handbook format is an excellent vehicle to achieve these objectives. Despite the ready availability of electronic information, generations of clinicians continue to rely on the Oxford Handbooks as trusted and relevant sources of information on which to base their clinical practice. Not only is this Handbook wide ranging, but its clarity will appeal to the wide range of clinicians who work outside hospital.