Textbook of Adult Emergency Medicine,
Edition 6Editors: Edited by Peter Cameron, MBBS, MD, FACEM, Biswadev Mitra, MBBS MHSM PhD FACEM, Kim Hansen, MBBS(HonsI) FACEM, Mark Little, MBBS, FACEM, MPH&TM DTM&H IDHA and Conor Deasy, MB DCH Dip IMC Dip Tox FRCEM PhD
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The Sixth Edition of this well-known and authoritative textbook provides comprehensive, up-to-date coverage of Adult Emergency Medicine. It is an invaluable guide for trainees and other health professionals, including nurse specialists and paramedics, offering concise and practical guidance based on the latest best practices and evidence-based guidelines. Originally published over 25 years ago this title has been regularly updated to keep up with current practice.
All major topics encountered in the emergency department are covered and have been updated to reflect recent changes in this constantly evolving specialty. Chapters are concise and practical, with key points and controversial areas highlighted.
In addition, the textbook addresses complex topics such as death and dying, managing challenging patients, ethics, providing testimony, and domestic violence. It also covers governance, training, research, and organisational subjects like disaster planning and response, humanitarian emergencies, and refugee medicine. This content provides a framework for understanding the complexities of managing major emergency care systems.
This textbook remains a vital resource for anyone involved in the practice of emergency medicine.
Key Features
- Practical guide– covers everything you are likely to come across
- Clinically orientated and thoroughly updated by a team of expert editors
- Concise and readable chapters – accessible for trainee doctors as well as emergency medicine nursing specialties and those working in urgent care units
- Key points and highlighted controversial areas support additional learning
- Supports image interpretation in emergency medicine
New to this edition
- Fully refreshed and updated to reflect the latest evidence and practice
- New content on resuscitation, critical care, trauma, cardiology, pandemic preparedness and infection control, emergency care in humanitarian crises, wellness, resilience, and performance in emergency medicine
- Images updated to reflect new technology
- Additional images available in the eBook
About the author
Edited by Peter Cameron, MBBS, MD, FACEM, Emergency Physician, Alfred Health Emergency Service, Australia; Biswadev Mitra, MBBS MHSM PhD FACEM, Emergency Physician, Alfred Health Emergency Service, Australia; Kim Hansen, MBBS(HonsI) FACEM, Director, Virtual Emergency Department, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Medical Director, Critical Care, Women's and Children's, Service Line, Redcliffe Hospital, Australia; Mark Little, MBBS, FACEM, MPH&TM DTM&H IDHA, Emergency Physician and Clinical Toxicologist, Department of Emergency Medicine, Cairns Hospital, Cairns, Australia and Conor Deasy, MB DCH Dip IMC Dip Tox FRCEM PhD, Clinical Director, Emergency and Acute Care, Cork University Hospital (CUH) /Professor, Emergency Medicine, CUH /South Trauma Network Clinical Lead / Clinical Lead, Major Trauma Audit, NOCA, Ireland
Section 1 Resuscitation
1.1 Basic life support
1.2 Advanced life support
Section 2 Critical care
2.1 Airway and ventilation management
2.2 Oxygen therapy
2.3 Haemodynamic monitoring
2.4 Shock overview
2.5 Sepsis and septic shock
2.6 Arterial blood gases
2.7 Cerebral resuscitation after cardiac arrest
2.8 Anaphylaxis
Section 3 Trauma
3.1 Trauma overview
3.2 Traumatic brain injury
3.3 Spinal trauma
3.4 Facial trauma
3.5 Abdominal trauma
3.6 Chest trauma
3.7 Limb trauma
3.8 Radiology in major trauma
3.9 Trauma in pregnancy
3.10 Wound care and repair
3.11 Burns
3.12 Major haemorrhage
Section 4 Orthopaedic emergencies
4.1 Injuries of the shoulder
4.2 Dislocations of the elbow
4.3 Fractures of the humerus
4.4 Fractures of the forearm and carpal bones
4.5 Hand injuries
4.6 Pelvic injuries
4.7 Hip injuries
4.8 Femur injuries
4.9 Knee injuries
4.10 Tibial and fibular injuries
4.11 Ankle joint injuries
4.12 Foot injuries
4.13 Osteomyelitis
Section 5 Cardiovascular emergencies
5.1 Chest pain
5.2 Acute coronary syndromes
5.3 Assessment and management of acute pulmonary oedema
5.4 Arrhythmias
5.5 Pulmonary embolism
5.6 Pericarditis, cardiac tamponade and myocarditis
5.7 Heart valve emergencies
5.8 Peripheral vascular disease
5.9 Hypertension
5.10 Aortic dissection
5.11 Aneurysms
Section 6 Respiratory emergencies
6.1 Upper respiratory tract
6.2 Asthma
6.3 Community-acquired pneumonia
6.4 Influenza
6.5 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
6.6 Pneumothorax
6.7 Pleural effusion
6.8 Haemoptysis
Section 7 Digestive emergencies
7.1 Dysphagia
7.2 Approach to abdominal pain
7.3 Bowel obstruction
7.4 Hernia
7.5 Gastroenteritis
7.6 Haematemesis and melaena
7.7 Peptic ulcer disease and gastritis
7.8 Biliary tract disease
7.9 Acute pancreatitis
7.10 Acute appendicitis
7.11 Inflammatory bowel disease
7.12 Acute liver failure
7.13 Haematochezia
7.14 Perianal conditions
Section 8 Neurology emergencies
8.1 Headache
8.2 Stroke and transient ischaemic attacks
8.3 Subarachnoid haemorrhage
8.4 Altered conscious state
8.5 Seizures
8.6 Syncope and vertigo
8.7 Weakness
Section 9 Infectious disease emergencies
9.1 Approach to undifferentiated fever in adults
9.2 Meningitis
9.3 Septic arthritis
9.4 Urinary tract infections
9.5 Skin and soft-tissue infections
9.6 COVID-19
9.7 Needlestick injuries and related blood and body fluid exposures
9.8 Hepatitis
9.9 Human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome
9.10 Sexually transmitted infections
9.11 Tropical infectious diseases
Section 10 Genitourinary emergencies
10.1 Acute kidney injury
10.2 The acute scrotum
10.3 Renal colic
Section 11 Endocrine emergencies
11.1 Diabetes mellitus and hypoglycaemia: an overview
11.2 Diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar, hyperglycaemic state
11.3 Thyroid and adrenal emergencies
Section 12 Metabolic emergencies
12.1 Acid–base disorders
12.2 Electrolyte disturbances
Section 13 Haematology emergencies
13.1 Anaemia
13.2 Neutropaenia
13.3 Thrombocytopaenia
13.4 Haemophilia
13.5 Blood and blood components
Section 14 Rheumatology and musculoskeletal emergencies
14.1 Rheumatological emergencies
14.2 Monoarthritis
14.3 Polyarthritis
14.4 Musculoskeletal and soft-tissue emergencies
Section 15 Dermatology emergencies
15.1 Emergency dermatology
Section 16 Ocular emergencies
16.1 Ocular emergencies
Section 17 Dental emergencies
17.1 Dental emergencies
Section 18 Ear, nose and throat emergencies
18.1 Ear, nose and throat emergencies
Section 19 Obstetrics and gynaecology emergencies
19.1 Pelvic pain
19.2 Pelvic inflammatory disease
19.3 Abnormal vaginal bleeding in the nonpregnant patient
19.4 Pain and bleeding in early pregnancy – miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
19.5 Bleeding after the first trimester of pregnancy
19.6 Pre-eclampsia
19.7 Emergency birth and complications
Section 20 Psychiatric emergencies
20.1 Mental state assessment
20.2 Distinguishing medical from psychiatric causes of mental disorder presentations
20.3 Suicidality and self-harm
20.4 Depression
20.5 Psychosis
20.6 Pharmacological management of the aroused patient
Section 21 Challenging situations
21.1 Death and dying
21.2 Sexual assault
21.3 Family violence
21.4 Alcohol-related illness
21.5 The challenging patient
21.6 End-of-life decision-making and provision of palliative care
21.7 Organ and tissue donation
Section 22 Pain relief
22.1 General pain management
22.2 Local anaesthesia
22.3 Emergency department procedural sedation
Section 23 Emergency imaging
23.1 Emergency department ultrasound
23.2 Computed tomography scanning in emergency medicine
23.3 Magnetic resonance imaging in emergency medicine
Section 24 Environmental emergencies
24.1 Heat-related illness
24.2 Cold-related illness
24.3 Dysbarism
24.4 Radiation incidents
24.5 Drowning
24.6 Electric shock and lightning injury
24.7 High-altitude illness
Section 25 Toxicology emergencies
25.1 Approach to the poisoned patient
25.2 Cardiovascular drugs
25.3 Antipsychotic drugs
25.4 Antidepressant drugs
25.5 Lithium
25.6 Paracetamol
25.7 Salicylate
25.8 Antidiabetic drugs
25.9 Colchicine
25.10 Caffeine and theophylline
25.11 Iron
25.12 Drugs of abuse
25.13 Cyanide
25.14 Hydrofluoric acid
25.15 Anticholinesterase insecticides
25.16 Herbicides
25.17 Ethanol and other ‘toxic’ alcohols
25.18 Carbon monoxide
25.19 Anticonvulsants
25.20 Toxidromes
25.21 Chloroquine
25.22 Opioids
25.23 Oral anticoagulants
Section 26 Toxinology emergencies
26.1 Snakebite
26.2 Exotic snakebite
26.3 Spider bite
26.4 Marine injury, envenomation and poisoning
26.5 Hymenoptera stings
Section 27 Academic emergency medicine
27.1 Research methodology
27.2 Writing for publication
27.3 Principles of medical education
27.4 Teaching medical students emergency medicine
27.5 Postgraduate emergency medicine teaching and simulation
Section 28 Emergency medicine and the law
28.1 Mental health and the law: the Australian and New Zealand perspectives
28.2 The coroner
28.3 Consent and competence
28.4 Privacy and confidentiality
28.5 Ethics in emergency medicine
Section 29 Emergency and medical systems
29.1 Prehospital emergency medicine
29.2 Retrieval
29.3 Medical issues in disasters
29.4 Triage
29.5 Emergency care in a humanitarian crisis
29.6 Emergency department short stay units
29.7 Overcrowding
29.8 Rapid and other hyperacute response systems in the emergency department
29.9 Public health and social emergency medicine
29.10 Indigenous health in the emergency department setting
Section 30 Administration
30.1 Emergency department staffing
30.2 Emergency department layout
30.3 Quality assurance and quality improvement
30.4 Business planning
30.5 Accreditation, specialist training and recognition in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
30.6 Specialist training and recognition in emergency medicine in the United Kingdom
30.7 Complaints
30.8 Patient safety
30.9 Wellness, resilience and performance in emergency medicine
Book Reviews
"The combination of desk-bound hard copy with the portability and expanded content of the ‘e-book’ that moves the fourth edition from the ‘you should have this’ of the third edition to the next level of desirability and utility." --Emergency Medicine Australasia
"As an experienced ED nurse and Emergency Nurse Practitioner, I found the book fascinating and could not put it down. The authors and editors of this text have succeeded in producing a comprehensive guide to Emergency Medicine which would be a valuable resource for any Emergency Department." --International Emergency Nursing
"it has established itself as one of the leading reference textbooks in the field of adult emergency medicine in Australasia. It is now a mature reference textbook, which is a credit to the editors and the contributors." --Journal of Military and Veterans’ Health
"This is an excellent evidence based textbook suitable for exam preparation or for reference, which takes you through the complete management of all emergency medicine conditions. I would strongly recommend it to all emergency medicine trainees." --Injury: international Journal of Care of the Injured
