Ever feel overwhelmed by a patient's presentation? Maybe you've tried plan A and now you're stuck, trying to come up with the next step. The solution always lies in your ABC...DEFG. But what does this mean?
Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure, Family/Friends, and Glucose!
These are the steps you should take and repeat over and over again to stabilize a patient. If you're ever stuck, start over from A and just keep going. You should always check your patient's airway and ensure their breathing is adequate, followed by their pulse, blood pressure, and perfusion as well as bleeding. Next, try to determine their disability, ie what caused their presentation? Check their exposure, not only how they've presented, but also where they've come from. Have high or low temperatures affected them? Ensure you keep their family and friends updated on their progress, and try to obtain as much information as possible from them to help guide your treatment plan. Lastly, have you checked their glucose levels? Everyone remembers the FBC, U&E, LFTs, INR, etc....but we tend to forget their glucose! Once you've stabilized the patient, think of your 5 H's&T's to help determine how to reverse their predilection.
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