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All doctors should indeed be able to carry out first aid including
immediate treatment of blast injuries, but shouldn't all medical
commentators be aware of news reports in the non-medical literature?
Naivety can lead to false conclusions that may not be applicable again.
The title "Blast injury in enclosed spaces" excludes the injuries
sustained in the Number 30 bus, since the fragility of the roof of the bus
mercifully converted the environment to one that was not enclosed; the
prompt and competent response of BMA representatives prevented this
particular incident from being "uncontrolled".
The injuries in the enclosed space of tube trains occurred deep
underground, causing even the "walking wounded" considerable difficulty in
"swamping emergency services": that a "reverse triage effect" did not
occur may not be "testament to the outstanding integrated response" but a
product of circumstance.
Making unjustifiable heroes of those doing their jobs may be as dangerous
as making guilty villains of those sharing a religion with misguided
idealists. Leaders who seek to fuel the dichotomy that sustains “war” get
succour from the “good” of “our” side as well as the “evil” of “theirs”.
Competing interests:
I receive a pension from the Royal Navy where I treated casualties of war.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
16 July 2005
Andrew J Ashworth
GP Principal
Davidson's Mains Medical Centre, Edinburgh EH4 5BP
Enclosed spaces may protect open medical services
All doctors should indeed be able to carry out first aid including
immediate treatment of blast injuries, but shouldn't all medical
commentators be aware of news reports in the non-medical literature?
Naivety can lead to false conclusions that may not be applicable again.
The title "Blast injury in enclosed spaces" excludes the injuries
sustained in the Number 30 bus, since the fragility of the roof of the bus
mercifully converted the environment to one that was not enclosed; the
prompt and competent response of BMA representatives prevented this
particular incident from being "uncontrolled".
The injuries in the enclosed space of tube trains occurred deep
underground, causing even the "walking wounded" considerable difficulty in
"swamping emergency services": that a "reverse triage effect" did not
occur may not be "testament to the outstanding integrated response" but a
product of circumstance.
Making unjustifiable heroes of those doing their jobs may be as dangerous
as making guilty villains of those sharing a religion with misguided
idealists. Leaders who seek to fuel the dichotomy that sustains “war” get
succour from the “good” of “our” side as well as the “evil” of “theirs”.
Competing interests:
I receive a pension from the Royal Navy where I treated casualties of war.
Competing interests: No competing interests