Emergency Medicine

Question 1

Research has demonstrated that most first responders give chest compressions:

Answer 1

First responders tend to provide compressions at a rate that is too slow (the rate for all resuscitation is 100-120 bpm) and too gently (the compression depth should be 1/3 of the diameter of the chest).

Question 2

A four-year-old boy was playing with his brother and accidentally swallowed a coin. Initially there was some coughing and spluttering but he subsequently settled. An X-ray taken at the Emergency Department four hours later shows the coin to be at the lower oesophagus just above the gastrooesophageal junction. What is the most appropriate next step?

Answer 2

Endoscopic removal