The Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG), Manchester UK, began life in 1990 and became a registered medical education charity in 1993. The organisation exists to "preserve life by providing training and education to the general public and in particular but not exclusively to doctors, nurses and other members of the medical profession, in life saving techniques".
The book is written and edited by Emergency Medicine specialists who are Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG) trainers.

Working group vii

Contributors viii

Foreword to second edition ix

Acknowledgements x

Preface to second edition xi

Preface to first edition xii

Contact details and website information xiii

How to use your textbook xiv

1 Obstetric services 1

2 Legal and ethical issues 7

3 When things go wrong 13

4 Getting it right - non¿technical skills and communications 23

5 Anatomical and physiological changes in pregnancy 33

6 Structured approach to the obstetric patient 41

7 Collapse, cardiac arrest and shock in pregnancy 55

8 Emergencies in early pregnancy (up to 20 weeks) 67

9 Emergencies in late pregnancy (from 20 weeks) 73

10 Trauma, surgical and medical emergencies 85

11 Normal labour and delivery 101

12 Complicated labour and delivery 111

13 Emergencies after delivery 133

14 Resuscitation of the baby at birth 145

15 Assessment and management of the post¿gynaecological surgery patient 161

Abbreviations 167

Glossary 169

References 173

Further reading 177

Index 179