Chapter 1 Introduction PART 1 PARAMEDIC PRINCIPLES SECTION 1 Principles of paramedic practice Chapter 2 The paramedic role in healthcare Chapter 3 Characteristics of ambulance patients SECTION 2 THE PARAMEDIC'S CLINICAL APPROACH Chapter 4 The structured clinical approach Chapter 5 The clinical reasoning process CHAPTER 6 The patient interview SECTION 3 PATIENT AND PARAMEDIC SAFETY Chapter 7 Patient safety and paramedicine Chapter 8 Paramedic health and wellbeing SECTION 4 PARAMEDIC EDUCATION Chapter 9 Paramedic education SECTION 5 LEGAL AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS Chapter 10 Legal and ethical considerations in clinical decision making SECTION 6 CLINICAL REASONING AND THE PARAMEDIC MODEL OF PRACTICE Chapter 11 Developing a philosophy of practice PART 2 PARAMEDIC PRACTICE SECTION 7 The paramedic approach to the patient in an altered conscious state Chapter 12 Hypoglycaemia Chapter 13 Cerebrovascular accidents Chapter 14 Overdose Chapter 15 Seizures SECTION 8 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH RESPIRATORY DISTRESS Chapter 16 Airway obstruction Chapter 17 Asthma Chapter 18 Acute pulmonary oedema Chapter 19 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chapter 20 Pneumothorax Chapter 21 Pulmonary embolism Chapter 22 Pleural effusion Chapter 23 The paediatric patient with a noisy airway SECTION 9 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH A CARDIAC EMERGENCY Chapter 24 Chest pain Chapter 25 Arrhythmias Chapter 26 Cardiac arrest SECTION 10 THE PATIENT WITH A SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION Chapter 27 Anaphylaxis SECTION 11 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT PRESENTING WITH PAIN Chapter 28 Pain Chapter 29 The patient with lower back pain Chapter 30 Renal colic SECTION 12 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH TRAUMATIC INJURIES Chapter 31 The structured clinical approach to trauma patients Chapter 32 Head injury Chapter 33 Chest injuries Chapter 34 Musculoskeletal injuries Chapter 35 Traumatic spinal injuries Chapter 36 The patient with burns SECTION 13 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL INJURY Chapter 37 Hypothermia Chapter 38 Hyperthermia Chapter 39 Decompression injuries CHAPTER 40 Snake bites Chapter 41 Spider bites Chapter 42 Marine envenomation SECTION 14 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE UNWELL PATIENT: SPECIFIC CHALLENGES TO PARAMEDIC REASONING Chapter 43 The patient with acute abdominal pain Chapter 44 The patient with sepsis Chapter 45 Bleeding from the gastrointestinal or urinary tract SECTION 15 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE COMPLEX PATIENT Chapter 46 The socially isolated patient Chapter 47 The dying patient Chapter 48 The patient on out-of-hospital dialysis Chapter 49 Indigenous Australian patients Chapter 50 Maori patients SECTION 16 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO THE PATIENT DISPLAYING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR Chapter 51 The patient displaying abnormal behaviour Chapter 52 De-escalation in the pre-hospital environment SECTION 17 THE PARAMEDIC APPROACH TO OBSTETRIC AND NEONATAL EMERGENCIES Chapter 53 Imminent birth Chapter 54 Neonatal resuscitation PART 3 ESSENTIAL: KNOWLEDGE SECTION 18 Essential concepts of paramedic practice Chapter 55 Perfusion Chapter 56 The autonomic response Chapter 57 The inflammatory response Appendix 1 Professional role guide Appendix 2 Medications commonly encountered in community emergency health Glossary.