The Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee guidelines are the essential resource for paramedics. JRCALC combines expert advice with practical guidance to help paramedics in their challenging roles and supports them in providing patient care. The book covers a wide range of topics, from resuscitation, medical emergencies, trauma, obstetrics and medicines to major incidents and staff wellbeing.
The 2019 edition of the book has been brought up to date with the latest evidence and developments in clinical practice and now incorporates essential content from the 2017 supplementary guidelines, including extensive guidance on maternity, sepsis, safeguarding, falls in older adults and pain management.
Further key updates in the 2019 edition include:
•Resuscitation and cardiac arrest. The pathophysiology of cardiac arrest, use of checklists and pulseless electrical activity is discussed extensively within the context of everyday out of hospital practice. A new guideline on tracheostomy and laryngectomy is included, alongside clinical skills photographs.•
•Mental health presentation: crisis, distress and disordered behaviour. A reviewed guideline supports the clinician with practical help on the assessment and management of different mental health illnesses.
•Major, complex and high risk incidents. A revision by the National Ambulance Resilience Unit covers poisons, rail incidents and police incapacitating agents.
•New medicines are included: Activated charcoal, duodote and morphine sulfate for end of life care.
Other reviews and updates include: head injury, hyperventilation syndrome, stroke, respiratory illness in children and acute coronary syndrome.
List of Contributors
Update Analysis
Citing the JRCALC Guidelines
The JRCALC Guidelines are cited as:
Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (2019) JRCALC Clinical Guidelines 2019. Bridgwater: Class Professional Publishing.
Previous ISBN 9781859595947
Section 1: General Guidance
Consent in Pre-hospital Care
Patient Confidentiality
Pain Management in Adults
Pain Management in Children
Safeguarding Children
Sexual Assault
Safeguarding Adults at Risk
Domestic Abuse
End of Life Care
Death of a Child Including Sudden Unexpected Deaths in Infants
Staff Wellbeing and Health
Section 2: Resuscitation
Airway and Breathing Management
Traumatic Cardiac Arrest
Recognition of Life Extinct by Ambulance Clinicians
Adult Basic Life Support
Adult Advanced Life Support
Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, Adult
Basic Life Support, Child
Advanced Life Support, Child
Foreign Body Airway Obstruction, Child
Special Circumstances in Resuscitation
Section 3: Medical
Abdominal Pain
Cardiac Rhythm Disturbance
Altered Level of Consciousness
Dyspnoea
Headache
Mental Disorder
Mental Capacity Act 2005 (England and Wales)
Medical Emergencies in Adults – Overview
Sepsis
Non-Traumatic Chest Pain/Discomfort
Medical Emergencies in Children – Overview
Minor Illness in Children
Febrile Illness in Children
Respiratory Illness in Children
Heat Related Illness
Hyperventilation Syndrome
Hypothermia
Sickle Cell Crisis
Meningococcal Meningitis and Septicaemia
Acute Coronary Syndromes
Allergic Reactions including Anaphylaxis (Adults)
Asthma (Adults)
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Adults)
Convulsions (Adults)
Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Glycaemic Emergencies in Adults and Children
Heart Failure
Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator
Overdose and Poisoning (Adults)
Pulmonary Embolism
Stroke/Transient Ischaemic Attack
Allergic Reactions including Anaphylaxis (Children)
Asthma (Children)
Convulsions (Children)
Childhood Gastroenteritis
Overdose and Poisoning (Children)
Section 4: Trauma
Trauma Emergencies Overview (Adults)
Trauma Emergencies Overview (Children)
Abdominal Trauma
Head Injury
Limb Trauma
Spinal Injury and Spinal Cord Injury
Major Pelvic Trauma
Thoracic Trauma
Falls in Older Adults
Burns and Scalds (Adults)
Burns and Scalds (Children)
Electrical Injuries
Immersion and Drowning
Section 5: Maternity Care
Maternity Care, including Obstetric Emergency Overview
Birth Imminent: Normal Birth and Birth Complications
Care of the Newborn
Haemorrhage During Pregnancy (including Miscarriage and Ectopic Pregnancy)
Pregnancy-induced Hypertension (including Eclampsia)
Vaginal Bleeding: Gynaecological Causes
Maternal Resuscitation
Newborn Life Support
Trauma in Pregnancy
Section 6: Medicines
Drugs Overview
Activated Charcoal
Adrenaline
Amiodarone
Aspirin
Atropine
Benzylpenicillin (Penicillin G)
Chlorphenamine
Clopidogrel
Dexamethasone
Diazepam
Entonox
Furosemide
Glucagon (Glucagen)
Glucose 10%
Glucose 40% Oral Gel
Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN, Suscard)
Heparin
Hydrocortisone
Ibuprofen
Ipratropium Bromide (Atrovent)
Metoclopramide (Maxolon)
Midazolam
Patient’s Own Buccal Midazolam for Convulsions
Misoprostol
Morphine Sulphate
Morphine for End of Life Care
Naloxone Hydrochloride (Narcan)
Ondansetron
Oxygen
Paracetamol
Reteplase
Salbutamol
0.9% Sodium Chloride
Sodium Lactate Compound (Hartmann’s/Ringer’s Lactate)
Syntometrine
Tenecteplase
Tetracaine 4%
Tranexamic Acid
Intravascular Fluid Therapy (Adults)
Intravascular Fluid Therapy (Children)
Section 7: Special Situations
Major, Complex or High Risk Incidents
Police Incapacitants
Atropine
Duodote