Early management of acutely ill ward patients

This module offers recently qualified junior doctors a step by step approach to the recognition and prompt management of hospital patients who suffer a rapid deterioration and need urgent medical input. It includes practical tips on ABCDE assessment and the management of shock. Learning outcomes After completing this module, you should know: •How to recognise the clinical signs of life threatening acute illness, and how to systematically assess acutely ill patients using the ABCDE approach •How to assess the airway, and the causes and immediate management of an obstructed airway •How to assess breathing difficulties and causes of severe respiratory failure •The different causes of shock, and their typical clinical features and management •How to assess disability and carry out exposure, and what investigations to request in acutely ill patients. This module is based on an article first published in The BMJ (BMJ 2012;345:e5677). The article has been supplemented with the addition of further learning points and a multiple choice assessment