This case study will discuss a patient – “Rose” who arrived in Accident and Emergency with ectopic pregnancy and later presented with an episode of asthma. Rose was assessed using the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach, and her assessment findings to were linked to the National Early Warning Score (New score) as well as underlying pathophysiology. I will also discuss the main priorities of nursing care which were given to Rose while on my 12.5 hours shift at A&E Rose is a 32 years old female patient who presented to Accident and Emergency with symptoms that Wolfson et al. explain are associated with ectopic pregnancy: nausea, abdominal cramping...
This case study will discuss a patient – “Rose” who arrived in Accident and Emergency with ectopic pregnancy and later presented with an episode of asthma. Rose was assessed using the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach, and her assessment findings to were linked to the National Early Warning Score (New score) as well as underlying pathophysiology. I will also discuss the main priorities of nursing care which were given to Rose while on my 12.5 hours shift at A&E
Rose is a 32 years old female patient who presented to Accident and Emergency with symptoms that Wolfson et al. explain are associated with ectopic pregnancy: nausea, abdominal cramping accompanied by vaginal bleeding, sharp pain in the right side of her body and rectal pain. Rose also reported abdominal pain along with breast tenderness and a history of miscarriages and asthma – a chronic inflammation of the airway. Socially, Rose lives with her husband and does not have any children. She is also unemployed and does not smoke. Rose also reported that she is “allergic to house mites and pollen” – meaning she suffers from Atopic (extrinsic) asthma and that she uses a “blue inhaler” which unfortunately she did not have on her.
Upon arrival, Rose’s observations were taken and were as follows; respiratory rate 19 breaths per minute; Oxygen saturation 95% on room air; temperature 36.2oc; blood pressure 95/63mmHg; heart rate 85 beats per minute. Rose’s Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15/15, with News score 3.
1 hour later, as Rose was waiting to be seen by the doctor, she complained of shortness of breath. Her observations were taken again, and her results were respiratory rate 24bpm; oxygen saturation 93% on room air; temperature 36.1oc; blood pressure 89/56mmHg; heart rate 96bpm, with News score 8 with GCS score remaining at 15.
The ABCDE approach is significant in determining prioritization of care in emergency cases to allow early intervention and consequent prevention in deterioration of a patient’s condition that may otherwise lead to life loss.
