Countless thousands of men and women around the world have good reason to be thankful that Frank Partridge survived three and a half years of brutal Japanese captivity. Had he not, they too would in all probability have died too. Taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, Frank was forced to endure appalling deprivation. Conditions on the Burma railway were notorious and the death rate was horrendous. On returning to Belfast in late 1945 Frank specialized in heart diseases. Convinced that the prompt application of electric shock after cardiac arrest could save lives he reasoned that ventricular defibrillation should be applied not just in hospitals but in the workplace, the home, the street or ambulance. His first ‘portable’ defibrillator was produced in 1965 and over the intervening years evolved into the compact units so prevalent today. The importance of Partridge’s invention was well demonstrated when US President Lyndon B Johnston’s life was saved in 1972. This stirring biography reveals the full story of a remarkable man who survived against the odds to save countless lives.

Principles of EMS Systems, Third Edition provides EMS personnel with an overview of the organization and operation of an EMS system, both on a daily basis and in response to large-scale events, including terrorist and weapons of mass destruction incidents. This book explores the role the medical director plays in EMS and discusses the importance of medical oversight and accountability. By focusing on the collaborative interaction of EMS, police, and fire professionals, along with emergency physicians, emergency departments, and hospitals, this resource provides a framework for how these different groups must work together to ensure the emergency medicine/health care safety net does not fail when it is needed the most.

Did You Know? Belfast's motto is Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus: 'What shall we give in return for so much?' In 1170, the first Belfast Castle was established in what is now Castle Place. The present castle on Cavehill dates from 1870 and was gifted to the city in 1937. The Belfast News Letter was the first paper outside of America to publish the Declaration of Independence. The Little Book of Belfast is a compendium of obscure, strange and entertaining facts about the city's fascinating past and present. Funny, fast-paced and fact-packed, here you will find out about Belfast's trade and industry, crime and punishment, music, literature and sport, architectural heritage, and its famous (and occasionally infamous) men and women. It covers not only the major elements in Belfast's history but also those unusual, little-known facts that could so easily have been forgotten. A reliable reference and a quirky guide, this book can be dipped into time and again to reveal something new about the people, heritage and secrets of this ancient city.

This medical detective story traces the ongoing quest to reverse sudden death, looking at such breakthroughs in our understanding as respiration, circulation and defibrillation. It includes a guide to emergency CPR

An important figure in mid-Twentieth Century medicine and cardiology, brilliant, dynamic George Burch was outstanding on every front — pioneering researcher in multiple aspects of the body’s workings, an inspiring educator, editor and prolific writer, and electrifying lecturer. His patients loved him for his gentleness, common sense approach and tireless advocacy on their behalf. Immersed in medicine from childhood as he assisted his father, a physician in rural Louisiana, he was influential worldwide by a surprisingly young age. Possessed of a healthy sense of humor, he was nevertheless deeply serious of purpose. He was an independent thinker, outspoken and unfazed by mainstream opinion. Increasingly controversial, he became a hero to some, but to others an outdated fossil. The life story of this remarkable man resonates vividly in today’s environment of confusion and inordinate expense in medical care.

The prize-winning, “exceptionally moving” memoir of a family boat trip, an IRA bombing, and a teenager’s loss of his twin brother (The Telegraph). Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Award Winner and PEN/JR Ackerley Prize Nominee On an August weekend in 1979, fourteen-year-old Timothy Knatchbull joined his family on a boat trip off the shore of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, Ireland. By noon, an Irish Republican Army bomb had destroyed the boat, leaving four dead. The author survived, but his grandparents, family friend, and twin brother did not. Lord Mountbatten, his grandfather, was the target, and became one of the IRA’s most high-profile assassinations. Knatchbull and his parents were too badly injured to attend the funerals of those killed, which only intensified their profound sense of loss. Telling this story decades later, Knatchbull not only revisits these terrible events but also writes an intensely personal account of human triumph over tragedy—a story of recovery not just from physical wounds but deep emotional trauma. From a Clear Blue Sky takes place in Ireland at the height of the Troubles and gives compelling insight into that period of Irish history. But more importantly, it brings home that while calamity can strike at any moment, the human spirit is able to forgive, to heal, and to move on. “A minute by minute story of what happened that day, and what happened afterwards.” —Daily Mail “This is an extremely moving book. Beyond providing a phenomenally detailed evocation of his own family’s trauma, Knatchbull has lots of wise things to say about how we survive horrors—of all kinds—in our lives.” — Zoë Heller, author of the Booker Prize finalist Notes on a Scandal “A very poignant, clearsighted, heartbreaking but ultimately positive account.” —Hugh Bonneville, The New York Times

When a medical emergency occurs, seconds often make the difference between life and death. Every day, people are saved as the results of improvements in diagnosis and care. Read this book to explore the many advancements that have occurred in emergency care and the role innovation played in their development.

In this charming book bestselling author Christopher Winn turns his attention to the Irish people, taking us on a enthralling journey around their homeland, discovering en route the intriguing and surprising ways the places and their history contribute to the Irish character. As he travels across the Emerald Isle, he unearths the traditions, triumphs and disasters, foibles, quirks and customs that come together to make up the Irish people. From County Leitrim, the most sparsely populated county in the Republic of Ireland to County Louth, Ireland's smallest county, discover the site of the first play performed in the Irish language, sail the longest navigable inland waterway in Europe and watch the horse racing at Ireland's first all-weather racecourse. Illustrated throughout with enchanting pen and ink drawings and packed with interesting facts and entertaining stories, myths and legends, I Never Knew That About the Irish will entertain the whole family for hours on end.

Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death among adults, yet it need not be fatal. Though survival in most communities is very poor, a few communities achieve rates as high as 50%. Why are some communities so successful in snatching life from the jaws of death? Resuscitate! describes the steps any EMS system can take to improve cardiac arrest survival. It is written for the medical directors, administrative directors, fire chiefs, dispatch directors, and program supervisor who direct and run EMS systems all across the country, and for the EMTs, paramedics, and dispatchers who provide frontline care. This second edition of Resuscitate! provides fifteen concrete steps to improve survival. Four steps will lead to rapid improvements at the local level and are relatively easy to implement. Six additional steps are more difficult to implement but also likely to improve survival. The remaining steps recommend changes at the national level. Resuscitate! is the official textbook for the Resuscitation Academy, held twice a year in Seattle. Cosponsored by Seattle Medic One, King County EMS, and the Medic One Foundation, the Academy draws attendees from throughout the world for two intensive days of classes, demonstrations, and workshops to acquire the knowledge and tools to improve survival in their own communities. This new edition includes lessons learned from attendees of the Academy as well as from the faculty's evolving thoughts on how to measure performance and improve survival, one community at a time. It also includes an addendum on the Resuscitation Academy (resuscitationacademy.org). For more than thirty years, Mickey S. Eisenberg M.D., Ph.D. , has played a leading role in developing King County, Washington's emergency response to cases of sudden cardiac arrest, a system recognized as among the very best in the nation. He is a professor of medicine at the University of Washington and serves as the medical director of King County Emergency Medical Services.

An estimated 5-6 lakh people die every year due to sudden cardiac death (SCD) i.e., an unexpected death that occurs within an hour of collapse. This amounts to 10% of total mortality and 1/5 th of all cardiovascular deaths. In sudden cardiac arrest, a sudden dangerous rhythm disturbance of the heart occurs, stopping blood flow to vital organs. Permanent brain damage occurs if the circulation is not restored within 3 to 4 minutes, and hopes of survival become remote by the time they are shifted to hospitals. On-the-spot bystander action in providing a life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (cardiac massage) or CPR and early shock to the chest can improve survival by 60 to 80%. This manual comprehensively covers all aspects of sudden cardiac arrest across various age groups and situations. Containing 40 Chapters, 12 Annexures and 175 References, it delves deeply into the historical evolution and latest medical management protocols of this life threatening emergency. The manual will serve as a valuable reference book for all doctors, nurses and para medical staff posted in critical care units, casualty and the periphery.