Road Accidents - Medical Aid

ROAD ACCIDENTS MEDICAL AID. By Hans Pacy. (Pp. 136; figs. 30. £1.00). Edinburgh and London: E. & S. Livingstone, 1971. IT is commonplace to observe that the increasing numbers of deaths and disabling injuries due to accidents on our roads are the cause of concern to the public and the profession, and while much has been written on the subject of such injuries, and their treatment, in wellequipped units and hospitals, in far too few places has any attempt been made to improve on treatment at the site of accident, and to utilise to the best advantage on such site the skilled knowledge of experienced doctors. Here, in a text of 120 pages, Dr. Pacy has put on record the experiences of himself and others from a considerable bibliography to help the practitioner who may be called to the scene. It is implicit throughout the book that the saving of life in those recoverably injured lies in early and effective medical intervention at the accident site, and his suggestions for clinical recognition of life-threatening conditions, and for the recovery of the victims from wreckage and their subsequent handling are quite apposite. The text, necessarily compressed, is perhaps, not the most easily readable, while the illustrations could have been improved by the use of suitable photographs in places. Nevertheless, this is a most useful book, which can be strongly recommended to all interested in the subject; the final observations on the organisation of a modern intensive care road rescue service might well be noted by those who plan the overall strategy for accident and emergency services, for much of what is said applies equally to many other forms of accident. J.W.W.