Emergency Care

Emergency Care

• May be rendered to the client under the implied emergency doctrine (consent under the implied emergency doctrine (consent to treat) if the client is unable to consent for treatment due to critical level of illness or injury or loss of consciousness
• Emergency nurse is required to collect and preserve evidences taken from the patient; all collected items must be properly labeled

Five Levels of Acuity

• Level 1
• Resuscitation
• life threatening
• airway compromise / loss of consciousness
• cardiac arrest, severe shock, spine injury, ecclampsia, respiratory arrest
• Level 2
• Emergent
• Intervention within 15 minutes
• Must be ensured
• Asthma, drug overdose, chest pain, agitation, head injuries, stroke
• Level 3
• Urgent
• Within 30 minutes
• Moderate trauma, moderate asthma, middle injury with stable vital signs
• Level 4
• Less urgent
• Within 1 hour
• Minor trauma, vomiting/diarrhea without dehydration, allergic reaction, chronic pain, foreign body
• Level 5
• Non-urgent
• Within 2 hours
• Minor symptoms
• Chronic conditions
• Animal bites