The Practicing Midwife 2003;6:40
From a midwifery perspective, this manual has great practical appeal. While it is specifically aimed at senior trainees and established specialists and is recommended reading prior to undertaking the MOET course, it has an extensive amount of current, relevant evidence-based information on how to deal with obstetric emergencies and trauma, that can be applied in practice without having attended the course.
The manual is based on the principle of adopting a systematic, structured approach in managing emergencies. It supports the philosophy of a team approach and shared knowledge, and recommends that those involved in providing care to childbearing women regularly update their skilled through the use of drills. It is broken down into specific sections: introduction, resuscitation, trauma and other emergencies, obstetric emergencies, and triage and transfer.
One of the chapters, ‘Domestic violence’ is related to the latest Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Death, and correctly reports the statistics and vulnerability of pregnant women. It really does demonstrate that domestic violence is an issue that all those involved in caring for childbearing women should have a clearer understanding of. I applaud the authors for including this.
Generally, the manual is well constructed, straightforward and logical, and should be found in numerous maternity settings-as a labour ward resource for one. It is a useful tool for midwives, whether they wish to undertake the MOET course or not. Any text such as this can only serve to increase our knowledge, share best practice, and reduce risk for mothers and babies.
Georgina Lessing-Turner
Project Manager, Greater Manchester Workforce Development Confederation
