Question for the medical workers on TGD:

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:18 pm

For most given emergencies, if there is such a thing, what things would you most like to know about a patient that you typically can't determine from a one-or-two second diagnosis?

This is for a potential project, so, academic citations would be extremely helpful if you got 'em. Though I'm willing to just be pointed in the right direction.

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:50 pm

I almost exclusively dealt with patients who had most of the blanks filled in already. Emergencies didn't usually require weighty diagnosis, it was about getting things running again. After that you can figure out what the hell is the matter. Disclaimer: I was but a lowly tech and was rarely at the actual site of emergencies due to the remote nature of my role.

It feels douchey to say but in an emergency the thing I was most likely to look up in a hurry was whether they were DNR. To figure out if I was supposed to bring fire and fury (but politely) to make sure the RNs were doing their damn job. To put it mildly, it is quite frustrating to see someone dying and not being informed that that was actually supposed to be happening.

Edit- most important things to know I imagine are DNR status, infectious status and medicines to avoid due to allergies/complications. This stuff is known by caregivers on hand and is often learned by postings on door and wristbands as well.

Whipstitch · Post by **Whipstitch** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 2:42 pm

It probably falls under the too simple to matter bit but as an paramed/emt you will find yourself spending a shitload of time with the words "Diabetes maybe?" in the back of your head.

Username17 · Post by **Username17** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 7:35 pm

Current medications.

People have all kinds of wacky medical problems, many of which are masked partially or completely in an emergency setting because they are already being treated for them.

Also, medications were presumably prescribed based on a longer and more in-depth examination than you are capable of in an emergency setting, and they can tell you a lot. A two-second or even two minute exam is not going to tell you a lot about the patient's kidney function, but the fact that they are taking furosemide every day sure will.

-Username17

Lago PARANOIA · Post by **Lago PARANOIA** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:10 pm

erik and Frank, do you have a cite or a study for that? Or at least some key words and tricky phrases I can look for on Google scholar that will point me in the right direction?

erik · Post by **erik** » Sun Oct 07, 2012 8:46 pm

Lago PARANOIA wrote:erik and Frank, do you have a cite or a study for that? Or at least some key words and tricky phrases I can look for on Google scholar that will point me in the right direction?

I'd probably begin by checking up proper conduct of a code blue (generally the sort of medical emergency response you can expect in a medical environment). To my knowledge, there isn't actually a standardized "code blue" response. Most hospitals have their own, but one likely won't differ much from another.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2125957_run-code-blue.html

I've only had to respond to a few code blues, and every time there was already another code cart along with sufficient nurses and/or doctors, so I just got to truck my cart back to my department and get back to my work.

At my hospital if a patient was in isolation due to being notably infectious or susceptible to infection it would be noted outside the door.

Allergies and such were noted on wristbands worn by the patient. One would hope that the RN in charge of that patient's care for the shift was well appraised of what medications they were currently taking/on from their shift-change report and charting. That isn't to say that said RN couldn't be on break or off the floor, in which case the info would likely be learned via patient chart.

There are certainly other medical emergencies other than needing resuscitation, but I am much more out of my depth in discussing those.