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)…
CHAPTER 15. NASOGASTRIC TUBE PLACEMENT Introduction123 Indications124 Contraindications124 Equipment124 Practical procedure124 Post-procedure investigations127 Complications127 The modern nasogastric (NG) tube is a 1921 modification by John Alfred Ryle (1889–1950). He covered…
CHAPTER 9. PREPARING AND SETTING UP INTRAVENOUS MEDICATIONS Introduction75 Indications75 Contraindications75 Equipment75 Practical procedure76 Complications78 INTRODUCTION Intravenous fluids or medication for administration are usually prepared by nursing staff. However, junior…
CHAPTER 7. BLOOD CULTURES Introduction63 Indications63 Sampling contraindicated64 Equipment64 Practical procedure65 Post-procedure investigations65 Following on from Louis Pasteur’s (1822–1895) germ theory it was inevitable that attempts would be made to…
CHAPTER 10. INTRAVENOUS FLUIDS AND COMMONLY PRESCRIBED INFUSIONS Introduction79 Commonly prescribed infusions85 Dr Thomas Aitchison Latta (circa 1790–1833) pioneered the use of intravenous saline as fluid resuscitation for cholera victims…
