Recognising the Sick Patient

1. Recognising the acutely sick patient

This is one of the most difficult things to do, because  by definition anybody coming into hospital is ill.

The important thing is to recognise the key physical signs which usually relate to major observation problems such as low blood pressure, high respiratory rate, high temperature, high pulse. But other signs such as cold peripheries, increased capillary refil  time all our good to think about and pick up.

The key to spotting a deteriorating patient is to visit them regularly. And that's why nurses attach such importance to serial  observations, and doctors attach such importance to serial blood tests.

We have picked up three of the best ones from the net, there is one from University College which is  an audible pod cast only the second from New Zealand using a mannequin but they are both worth a look..

now please have a look at 2 Trust documents

https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1995358/mod_book/chapter/108193/NEWS2%20Presentation.pdf

https://qmplus.qmul.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/1995358/mod_book/chapter/108193/Barts%20NEWS2%20Policy.pdf