title: Then and now--severe facial injuries: emergency care.
abstract: Looking back through old copies of 'NATNews' of twenty years ago we found an article by W. D. Mackennan, then Consultant Dental Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. Its title was 'Severe Facial Injuries--Emergency Hospital Care'--NATNews Summer 1970. Principles of care were based on the four Cs: Control of the airway. Control of the haemorrhage. Control of the shock. Control of the fractured fragments. Emergency care included clearing the airway, responses to air or blood in the chest, oedema of the neck and so on. Positioning was regarded as vital and use of trachaeostomy was discussed--'elective trachaeostomy is always preferable to that carried out in an emergency'. The discussion of haemorrhage control ranged over pressure bandaging, digital pressure and use of the recently introduced product, Surgicel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joss
mesh_terms: D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000639:trends*; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D005392:First Aid / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans