A first aider or first responder may gather a medication (drug) history as part of their patient assessment. This information can be then passed onto emergency medical services when they arrive. In this first...

Measuring your blood pressure enables you to understand if you have low or high blood pressure. High blood pressure, or hypertension, can often lead to a stroke, heart attack, or other health issues. Therefore,...

A stroke (also known as a brain attack) is a medical emergency that occurs when the blood supply to the brain becomes disrupted. Most strokes occur due to a blood clot blocking one of...

A migraine is a severe headache, often associated with other symptoms including nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity (photophobia) and noise sensitivity (phonophobia). An aura may occur before the migraine headache starts. An aura is a...

Toe-tourniquet syndrome occurs when a strand of hair wraps around a toe causing injury. This is known as a hair tourniquet. All parents and caregivers should be aware of the risk of hair tourniquets...

The heart requires a rhythm in which to pump the blood, this rhythm allows time for blood to fill the ventricles and for the ventricles to empty completely before filling again. In patients with...

Veins are just one part of the larger circulatory system. The circulatory system comprises various components, including the heart, arteries, veins, and blood.  This system is vital because it works to carry essential elements...

Blood pressure is a measure of the force that is required to push blood around the body. Like a boiler system, a certain amount of pressure is required to ensure adequate flow. The blood...

The heart is a muscular organ responsible for pumping blood around the body. The heart has a four-chamber system to enable oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood to be kept separate from each other. The...

The clavicle, also called the collar bone, is an important bone which connects our upper limb to the rest of our body. The clavicle (collar bone) connects the sternum (breast bone) from the axial...

Resuscitation and CPR guidelines have been changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus. The international liaison committee on resuscitation (ILCOR) has published new guidance based upon a review of the...

A compound fracture, also known as an open fracture, this type of fracture is caused by severe trauma such as a car crash, playing contact sports like football, or falling from a great height....

A button battery (also called coin cell / disk battery) is a small battery used in small portable electronic devices, for example, watches and vehicle keys. Lithium button batteries are commonly found in our...

A flail chest is a serious injury to the thorax (chest). Severe trauma to the chest wall may cause extensive disruption, with multiple rib and sternal fractures. When a segment of chest wall loses...