Public access defibrillation remains out of reach for most victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest.

Introduction: Public access defibrillation (PAD) prior to ambulance arrival is a key determinant of survival from out-of-hospital (OOH) cardiac arrest. Implementation of PAD has been underway in the UK for the past 12 years, and its importance in strengthening the chain of survival has been recognised in the government's recent 'Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes Strategy'. The extent of use of PAD in OOH cardiac arrests in the UK is unknown.

The obstetric caseload of a physician-based helicopter emergency medical service: case review and recommendations for retrieval physician training.

Background: The Greater Sydney Area Helicopter Emergency Medical Service provides physicians for undertaking prehospital and inter-hospital critical care. We quantified the obstetric caseload of our service with respect to primary diagnosis and interventions in order to provide targeted physician training.

Materials And Methods: Retrieval records over a 4-year period were searched to identify keywords associated with pregnancy or obstetric complications.