Common risk stratification tools, e.g. for triage, fail in older patients. Some attempts have been undertaken to improve triage of older patients with nonspecific markers such as lactate with or without combination with vital signs or other aggregated lab scores.
In our daily working lives, acute physicians strive to provide the best holistic care to our patients from the moment they arrive in hospital. Experienced healthcare professionals develop a gut feeling (generally recognised as the nagging internal voice of professional experience) about patients who may be more unwell than appearances suggest, or who may deteriorate despite showing signs of physiologically compensating quite well. The papers in this issue challenge us to examine how we prioritise, prognosticate and risk-stratify the patients we treat in acute medicine, how we remain cognisant and skilled in treating patients with more unusual acute medical conditions, and how we allocate resources in the NHS.
Editorial Volume 17 Issue 4 – Assessing, treating and prognosticating from the front door Read More