CHAPTER 2. PEAK EXPIRATORY FLOW RATE MEASUREMENT AND SPIROMETRY Introduction15 Indications15 Contraindications16 Equipment17 Practical procedure – PEFR 17 Practical procedure – spirometry 19 Interpreting the spirometry results20 The spirometer was…
CHAPTER 4. CHEST DRAIN INSERTION AND MANAGEMENT Introduction33 NPSA recommendations34 Indications34 Cautions34 Contraindications35 Equipment35 Choosing the size of chest drain – the guidelines35 Position for drain insertion36 Site of drain…
CHAPTER 13. ARTERIAL CANNULATION Introduction111 Indications112 Contraindications112 Equipment112 National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) recommendations113 Practical procedure113 Post-procedure investigations116 Complications116 Suggested reading117 The Reverend Stephen Hales (1677–1761), a British veterinarian, cannulated…
CHAPTER 3. PLEURAL ASPIRATION (OF FLUID OR AIR) Introduction23 Indications23 Contraindications23 British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines for managing pneumothoraces24 Tension pneumothorax – emergency management24 Equipment25 Location of site of aspiration26…
CHAPTER 17. RIGID SIGMOIDOSCOPY Introduction141 Indications141 Contraindications141 Equipment142 Practical procedure143 Complications145 The Corpus Hippocraticum of early medical works from ancient Greece described both proctoscopy and use of the rectal speculum,…
CHAPTER 20. ARTHROCENTESIS OF THE KNEE Introduction165 Indications165 Contraindications166 Equipment166 Practical procedure166 Post-procedure investigations169 Complications169 The Libellus de Medicinalibus Indorum Herbis (or ‘little book of the medicinal herbs of the…
CHAPTER 18. URETHRAL CATHETERIZATION Introduction147 Male catheterization147 Female catheterization150 Post-procedure investigations153 Complications153 Sushruta, a surgeon of ancient India (circa 6th century BC), described gold, silver, iron and wood tubes lubricated…
CHAPTER 5. PERCUTANEOUS PLEURAL BIOPSY Introduction45 Contraindications46 Equipment46 The Abrams’ needle47 Site of biopsy47 Practical procedure49 Post-procedure investigations50 Post-procedure care51 Cautions52 Complications52 Suggested reading52 Pleural biopsy, originally an open technique,…
CHAPTER 12. ARTERIAL BLOOD GAS SAMPLING Introduction105 Indications105 Contraindications106 Equipment107 Practical procedure107 Femoral artery puncture109 Complications109 Gustav Magnus (1802–1870) made the first consistent analyses of blood gases in 1837. He…
CHAPTER 14. PERFORMING AN ELECTROCARDIOGRAM (ECG) Introduction119 Indications119 Equipment120 Practical procedure120 Post-procedure investigations122 Augustus Desiré Waller (1856–1922), working at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, produced the first electrocardiogram (ECG)…
