The Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) improves outcomes for people in life-threatening situations, anywhere along the healthcare pathway, anywhere in the world. ALSG is a leading medical education charity and has delivered advanced life support training to over 225 000 clinicians in 44 countries, across 5 continents, for over 25 years.

Working Group for Fourth Edition x

Contributors to Fourth Edition xii

Working group for third edition xiv

Contributors to previous editions xv

Foreword to fourth edition xvii

Preface to fourth edition xviii

Acknowledgements xix

Contact details and further information xxi

How to use your textbook xxii

Abbreviations xxiii

Part 1 Introduction

1 Introduction 3

2 Saving mothers' lives: lessons from the Confidential Enquiries 5

3 Structured approach to emergencies in the obstetric patient 15

4 Human factors 19

Part 2 Recognition

5 Recognising the seriously sick patient 31

6 Shock 41

7 Sepsis 51

8 Intravenous access and fluid replacement 61

9 Acute cardiac disease in pregnancy 73

Part 3 Resuscitation

10 Airway management and ventilation 87

11 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the pregnant patient 103

12 Amniotic fluid embolism 113

13 Venous thromboembolism 121

14 Resuscitation of the neonate at birth 127

Part 4 Trauma

15 Introduction to trauma 147

16 Domestic abuse 153

17 Thoracic emergencies 157

18 Abdominal trauma in pregnancy 165

19 The unconscious patient 171

20 Spine and spinal cord injuries 179

21 Musculoskeletal trauma 185

22 Burns 191

Part 5 Other obstetric medical and surgical emergencies

23 Abdominal emergencies 199

24 Diabetic emergencies 207

25 Neurological emergencies 213

26 Perinatal psychiatric illness 223

Part 6 Obstetric emergencies

27 Pre- eclampsia and eclampsia 231

28 Major obstetric haemorrhage 243

29 Caesarean section 253

30 Abnormally invasive placenta and retained placenta 261

31 Uterine inversion 267

32 Ruptured uterus 271

33 Ventouse and forceps delivery 275

34 Shoulder dystocia 289

35 Umbilical cord prolapse 297

36 Face presentation 301

37 Breech delivery and external cephalic version 305

38 Twin pregnancy 319

39 Complex perineal and anal sphincter trauma 323

40 Symphysiotomy and destructive procedures 331

41 Anaesthetic complications in obstetrics 339

42 Triage 355

43 Transfer 361

44 Consent matters 373

References and further reading 381

Index 393