The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) welcomes today’s report published by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) which focuses on the potential under-recognised risk of harm from the use of propranolol.
AACE Clinical Lead Cathryn James says:
Anything that helps reduce the risk of overdose and raises awareness about the correct use of propranolol can only be positive for patients and their families and we fully support the recommendations made by the HSIB report.
AACE worked closely with experts from the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) in 2019 to update the Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee (JRCALC) guidelines on overdose and poisoning, which are used by all ambulance clinicians. As a result of today’s report, we will now revisit the guidelines in partnership with NPIS experts to ensure the guidance around beta blockers and propranolol is as robust as possible.
AACE would also encourage all ambulance services to check that their staff can access the NPIS TOXBASE system to further assist the effective assessment and treatment of patients known to have taken an overdose of propranolol or other potentially harmful substances.
