Advanced Paediatric Life Support: The Practical Approach
CMAJ 1997;157:1275
© Canadian Medical Association
2nd ed. Advanced Life Support Group. 306 pp. Illust. BMJ. 1997. ISBN 0-7279-1069-8
| Overall rating: |
Very good |
| Strengths: |
Well written, easy to follow; comprehensive |
| Weaknesses: |
A few medication names may be unfamiliar to North American readers |
| Audience: |
Professionals who care for critically ill or injured children; especially useful to those who see children infrequently |
This is a core text for the Advanced Paediatric Life Support course in the UK. The 35 contributors include pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, emergency physicians and anesthetists. It emphasizes the first hour of care, and also provides a general reference for advanced life support.
The first part looks at the causes of childhood emergencies and the ways to quickly recognize a situation as an emergency. Part II discusses basic and advanced life support. "The seriously ill child" is the topic in part III (e.g., shock, shock syndromes, status epilepticus, coma, cardiac and respiratory emergencies). "The seriously injured child" takes us through trauma assessment and resuscitation; it covers specific systems (e.g., chest, abdomen) and entities (e.g., near drowning). In part V, practical procedures involving the airway and breathing, circulation and trauma resuscitation are explained and illustrated. There is a chapter on what to look for in x-rays of the spine, pelvis and chest, and one that deals with issues of transport. Part VI deals with "other areas of importance," including acid-base balance, fluid and electrolyte management, child abuse and accident prevention. Each chapter is reviewed briefly, with greatest emphasis on parts II, III and IV. Particular attention is given to the flow charts, summaries and algorithms used throughout.
The protocols are essentially similar to those outlined in the Pediatric Advanced Life Support textbook that accompanies the American Academy of Pediatrics PALS course. In a very few instances the North American reader may encounter the name of a drug that is not immediately familiar, but this is a minor difficulty easily overcome.
Overall, this is a well-written, comprehensive reference book; the text is easily followed, the diagrams are clear, the algorithms and summaries useful. It will be of great benefit to those involved in emergency care of children.
Dr. Carrol A. Pitters
Chief
Division of Emergency Medicine
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Ottawa, Ont.
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