Average rating
Cast your vote
You can rate an item by clicking the amount of stars they wish to award to this item.
When enough users have cast their vote on this item, the average rating will also be shown.
Star rating
Your vote was cast
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Journal title
Journal of Paramedic Practice
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Paramedics have made a significant contribution to reductions in mortality for the time-critical conditions of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and major trauma (Myocardial Ischaemia National Audit Project (MINAP), 2008), and they will be instrumental in helping to reduce stroke mortality in the near future (Department of Health 2006). These improvements have, and will be achieved by pre-hospital diagnosis and prompt aggressive treatment. There is however another time critical condition that is currently not being targeted, in which pre-hospital staff could significantly improve the patient’s chances of survival. This condition is severe sepsis. This article presents a case study of a patient with severe sepsis who is transported from a nursing home to the emergency department (ED), and explores how paramedics can diagnose severe sepsis by use of a screening tool, and discusses the practicalities of delivering evidence-based care en route to hospital (high concentration oxygen, intravenous fluid challenges, intravenous antibiotics, measuring blood lactate). The benefits of alerting the receiving hospital of a patient with severe sepsis are also discussed. Abstract published with permission.ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.12968/jpar.2009.1.5.42060
Scopus Count
Collections