Rachel Cartwright-Vanzant – 2-Day: Rapid Response: Master the Critical Signs and Symptoms that Patients Provide

Outline

Immunology/Hematology: DIC | HIT | Transfusion reactions

• Bleeding usually stops quickly. How do you know when to be concerned?
• Demystify the complex web of clotting
• Most transfusion reactions are minor.

• What if the reaction is immediate/major?
• Do you know what to do?

Cardiovascular: Pulse pressure | Recognition of valvular heart disease | Recognition of ACS | Complication of PCI | Hypertensive crisis | Acute vascular insufficiency | Cardiac trauma | Aneurysms

• Calculate pulse pressure in a case study
• Recognize audibly and identify anatomic locations for valvular dysfunction (sound examples)
• List key urgent steps to take when you recognize ACS
• My back hurts! My foot is numb! My chest hurts again!
• When is a BP “too” high? Every patient is different…
• Your MVA patient on a M/S floor may look OK on the outside – but inside can be another thing!

Endocrine: SIADH | DI | Ketoacidosis and HHS | Hypoglycemia

• Too much water, too little water. What does it all mean?
• Too much insulin, too little insulin. Can’t keep it straight?

Gastrointestinal: GI bleed | Acute pancreatitis | Liver failure and encephalopathy | Abdominal trauma | Bowel infarction, obstruction and perforation

• 5 tips to correctly identify significant nonspecific abdominal pain
• When confusion is not just getting old!
• All backed up and nowhere to go, can kill your patient. Don’t miss key findings that can save them

Behavioral / Psychosocial: Delirium | Dementia | Suicide | Substance withdrawal

• Nurses can affect the double “Ds”
• Would you recognize suicide intent in your patient?
• The substance your patient abuses affects the presenting symptoms of withdrawal

Neurology: Encephalopathy | Stroke | TBI | Skull fracture | Seizure | Meningitis

• 5 clues to encephalopathy
• Embolic vs. ischemic stroke
• When the brain swells, the skull leaves no room for guessing. Early s/s of neuro problems
• Seizures may come about suddenly – and sometimes they don’t stop

Renal: Acute renal failure | Life-threatening electrolyte imbalance

• What the kidneys do with all those electrolytes. Why it matters

Pulmonary: Perfusion | Acute respiratory failure | Status asthmaticus | Pulmonary embolism | Pneumonia | Aspiration | Pneumothorax | Hemothorax

• Early detection that enough oxygen is not getting to the blood stream
• Toxic substances interfering with oxygen exchange
• Rapid detection of a pneumothorax and hemothorax

Multisystem: Hypovolemic, Hemorrhagic, SIRS, Sepsis, and Septic shock | Anaphylactic shock

• 5 tips to recognizing s/s of early shock and possible etiologies
• Support failing compensatory mechanisms in a deteriorating patient