24/5/26 Diphtheria alert
There is currently an outbreak of Diphtheria in parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia. Please be alert for cases of oropharyngeal and cutaneous Diphtheria in patients who have been to these regions, particularly Indigenous patients.
Important copyright and AI information
Please be reminded that unauthorised reproduction of the Manual in any form, including creation of summaries, audio or animation, or copying content into any machine learning tool is not permitted. Breaches of this agreement will result in immediate, and permanent, termination of access and legal action for breach of copyright.
Dedication
This manual is dedicated to the memory of Dr Edward William Brentnall FACEM, MBE, OAM, KStJ 05/08/1929-01/10/2024. Ed was a guiding light for generations of emergency physicians who sheltered, mentored and inspired many of us. See the full dedication here.
Latest updates
Dystonias
The Other movement disorders page has been updated with additional information about acute dystonias.
Sphenopalatine ganglion block
The Migraine page has been updated with an expanded segment on the sphenopalatine ganglion block.
Anticoagulation and lumbar puncture
The Lumbar puncture page has been updated with additional information about anticoagulation and LP..
Lumbar puncture contra-indications
The segment on contra-indications on the Lumbar puncture page has been revised and updated.
Aortic dissection mortality
The Thoracic aortic dissection page has been updated with more contemporary (lower) mortality data than previously cited.
TOE to optimise chest compression location in BLS
The Basic life support page has been updated with additional information about the use of TOE to optimise the location of chest compression.
Humeral head IO in OHCA
The Advanced life support page has been updated to include information that the humeral head IO route is associated with better outcomes in OHCA than the tibia in adults.
Sterile gown for LP optional
The Lumbar puncture page has been updated with the recommendation that a sterile gown when doing an LP is optional in many situations. This follows a similar recommendation by multiple Anaesthesia organisations that a sterile gown is not mandatory for single shot spinal anaesthesia.
