ABCDE: RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY ILL
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
General principles of the ABCDE approach? - (ANSWER)- Airway
- Breathing
- Circulation
- Disability
- Exposure
- ABCDE approach should be used when both *assessing* and *treating* the patient
- Life-threatening problems, once identified, should be treated before moving on to the next part of the
assessment
- if there is further deterioration, reassessment should be performed - starting with the away
- all members of the dental team should be involved, allowing essential tasks such as collecting
emergency equipment and oxygen or calling 999 for an ambulance to be taken simultaneously
Clinical signs of acute illness and deterioration? - (ANSWER)- are usually similar regardless of underlying
cause- reflect compromise of the respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological function
- *tachypnoea (respiratory rate >20/min) --> cosy common abnormality found in acute illness
- *tachycardia (heart rate >100 beats/min)
- *hypotension (usually a systolic <90 mmHg)
,ABCDE: RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY ILL
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
- *altered conscious level* e.g. lethargy, restlessness or falling level of consciousness
these clinical signs or often *subtle* and go unnoticed, it is therefore important to assess to patient
following the systematic ABCDE approach
What things should be approached before ABCDE? - (ANSWER)- *DRS* ABCDE
- D - *danger* --> check environment is safe and free from hazards and follow infection control
guidelines, if necessary
- R - *response* --> talk to the patient and evaluate their response
● a normal response --> *clear airway, is breathing and adequate cerebral perfusion*
● inability to complete sentences could indicate *extreme respiratory distress*
● inappropriate response or NO response could indicate a *life-threatening physiological disturbance*
( - patient's *general appearance* - colour, content/relaxed or distressed/anxious)
- S - *send for help* --> important to call for help at a very early stage - includes from other members of
the dental team to calling for an ambulance
● ask a colleague to *fetch oxygen/emergency equipment.drugs*
● if one is available. attach a *pulse oximeter*
How do you establish if airway is obstructed? - (ANSWER)look listen and feel for the signs of airway
obstruction
, ABCDE: RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY ILL
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
partial airway obstruction will result in noisy breathing
Describe the significance of:
a) gurgling
b) snoring
c) stridor
d) wheeze
when evaluating airway patency - (ANSWER)*a) gurgling*
- indicates presence of fluid e.g. secretions or vomit in the mouth or upper airway
- usually seen in a patient with altered level of consciousness who is having difficulty or is unable to clear
his own airway
*b) snoring*
- indicates the pharynx is being partially obstructed by the tongue
- usually seen in a patient with altered level of consciousness lying in a supine position
*c) stridor*
- high-pitched sound during inspiration
- indicates partial upper airway obstruction
- usually due to a foreign body or laryngeal oedema
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
General principles of the ABCDE approach? - (ANSWER)- Airway
- Breathing
- Circulation
- Disability
- Exposure
- ABCDE approach should be used when both *assessing* and *treating* the patient
- Life-threatening problems, once identified, should be treated before moving on to the next part of the
assessment
- if there is further deterioration, reassessment should be performed - starting with the away
- all members of the dental team should be involved, allowing essential tasks such as collecting
emergency equipment and oxygen or calling 999 for an ambulance to be taken simultaneously
Clinical signs of acute illness and deterioration? - (ANSWER)- are usually similar regardless of underlying
cause- reflect compromise of the respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological function
- *tachypnoea (respiratory rate >20/min) --> cosy common abnormality found in acute illness
- *tachycardia (heart rate >100 beats/min)
- *hypotension (usually a systolic <90 mmHg)
,ABCDE: RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY ILL
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
- *altered conscious level* e.g. lethargy, restlessness or falling level of consciousness
these clinical signs or often *subtle* and go unnoticed, it is therefore important to assess to patient
following the systematic ABCDE approach
What things should be approached before ABCDE? - (ANSWER)- *DRS* ABCDE
- D - *danger* --> check environment is safe and free from hazards and follow infection control
guidelines, if necessary
- R - *response* --> talk to the patient and evaluate their response
● a normal response --> *clear airway, is breathing and adequate cerebral perfusion*
● inability to complete sentences could indicate *extreme respiratory distress*
● inappropriate response or NO response could indicate a *life-threatening physiological disturbance*
( - patient's *general appearance* - colour, content/relaxed or distressed/anxious)
- S - *send for help* --> important to call for help at a very early stage - includes from other members of
the dental team to calling for an ambulance
● ask a colleague to *fetch oxygen/emergency equipment.drugs*
● if one is available. attach a *pulse oximeter*
How do you establish if airway is obstructed? - (ANSWER)look listen and feel for the signs of airway
obstruction
, ABCDE: RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF THE ACUTELY ILL
PATIENT QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED VERIFIED AND 100%
ACCURATE ANSWERS GRADED A+
partial airway obstruction will result in noisy breathing
Describe the significance of:
a) gurgling
b) snoring
c) stridor
d) wheeze
when evaluating airway patency - (ANSWER)*a) gurgling*
- indicates presence of fluid e.g. secretions or vomit in the mouth or upper airway
- usually seen in a patient with altered level of consciousness who is having difficulty or is unable to clear
his own airway
*b) snoring*
- indicates the pharynx is being partially obstructed by the tongue
- usually seen in a patient with altered level of consciousness lying in a supine position
*c) stridor*
- high-pitched sound during inspiration
- indicates partial upper airway obstruction
- usually due to a foreign body or laryngeal oedema
