Deteriorating Adult

Add to favourites

The following highlights resources available for nurses, midwives, and health professionals in Scotland to support care of the deteriorating adult including those with Covid 19.  

This is not fully inclusive and is designed to be a starting point for individual exploration and learning. 

You will need to log in to your Turas account to engage with some of the resources available here. If you do not have a Turas account then please register here

The ABCDE approach
Airway

Obstruction of the airway is an emergency which requires immediate expert help. Untreated, airway obstruction causes hypoxia and risks damage to vital organs and death.   

This short video examines how a practitioner who is new to intensive care can support the intubation of a patient.

Ventilator management essential skills for non-ICU nurses assiting duration intubation : video (8.32)

Breathing

Immediate assessment of breathing, is vital to diagnose and treat life-threatening conditions such as acute severe asthma and tension pneumothorax. 

Ventilation in Covid 19 

A patient centred approach to Acute Non-Invasive Ventilation 

Review of ARDS and specific considerations in the context of COVID-19

How to prone and unprone a patient in critical care 

Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) course 2 : Medical Acid Base Balance, disorders & ABGs explained clearly 

Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) course 2 : Medical Acid Base and ABGs explained clearly 

(Note these ABG resources were not produced in the UK and as such the units of measurement will likely vary from those used locally) 

Additional Resources

Disability

The Resuscitation Council UK, report common causes of unconsciousness which include profound hypoxia, hypercapnia, cerebral hypoperfusion, or the recent administration of sedatives or analgesic drugs.  

SIGN: Care of deteriorating patients  

An introduction to the management of sepsis 

Managing severe hypoglycaemia in a hospital environment  

Exposure / examination

Comprehensive examination of the patient will require them to be exposed, with clothing, bedding adjusted or removed as necessary. 

Examine the patient for signs of trauma, bleeding, skin reactions, needle marks, or other potential causes for the deterioration in their condition. Care should be taken to minimise heat loss and preserve the patient’s dignity.  

Additional information will also be required as detailed by the Resuscitation Council UK - The ABCDE Approach | Resuscitation Council UK 

Feedback
Feedback

 

We hope you enjoy exploring the site and have found it useful. We welcome your feedback to inform ongoing development of deteriorating patient resources. If you have any comments, ideas or suggestions, please complete the short feedback form or email us directly at PerioperativeNMaHP@nes.scot.nhs.uk