Introduction to Common Medical Emergencies

The acid test to a physician's efficiency is his performance in the emergency room.

• One has to act quickly and effectively without referring to textbooks.
• This calls for reasonable skill and experience. Unfortunately, the emphasis given in the curriculum to training in emergency diagnosis and treatment is grossly inadequate.
• Prompt recognition of a problem based on clinical features alone and institution of empirical treatment without any delay should be the aim of the doctor. If one is reasonably sure of the diagnosis, no time should be wasted, waiting for investigations.
• At the same time tact and sympathy in dealing with anxious relatives and proper explanation regarding the nature of the illness to them is equally important to avoid allegations of negligence.
• One should not shout at relatives while working in government hospitals and should not lose confidence while working in private hospitals.
• We should develop the courage and confidence to shoulder the responsibility and not to shunt the patient to some other place on trivial excuses, which results in loss of valuable time. Many a time referral are made only to save one's own skin.
• Remember that no patient comes to the emergency room with a diagnostic label; they come with problems of acute onset. Hence a problem-oriented discussion is attempted in this chapter for day-to-day practical use.

Check daily to ensure that there is ready access to all emergency medicines and functioning equipment. Once a Medical Emergencies sick patient comes to us avoid running around for these things, which leads to waste of valuable time.