Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to A duKamp.
It is estimated that 150000 new patients per year will attend an A&E Department or Minor Injury Unit (MIU) with a minor burn injury (Wardrope & Edhouse 1999). There is often conflicting 'evidence' for the management and treatment of minor burns blisters and this can cause variations in the treatment provided within an A&E department resulting in confusion for staff and patients.
In the author's current area of practice the use of either the Bier's block or haematoma block for manipulating distal radial fractures seems to have been based mostly on the A&E consultant's preference. The purpose of this literature review was to determine if there was sufficient evidence on the advantages and disadvantages of each method of regional anaesthesia to advocate the general use of one and the exclusion of the other. When reviewing the literature the author specifically looked in to three key areas to answer this question: 1) the patient's perception of pain experienced during and after the manipulation; 2) patient safety i.e. the documented risks of the anaesthetic type used; and 3) the success of the manipulation as determined by repeat radiographs immediately after the application of a plaster of Paris cast.