Adult Sick / Not Sick
The SICK/NOT SICK approach to rapid assessment identifies two categories for all patients: SICK or NOT SICK. It helps you decide how to initially treat a patient, a decision that guides you throughout the call. SICK/NOT SICK also calls for quick decision-making and action. SICK/NOT SICK exposes the key indicators of physiologic stability that would otherwise take less-experienced EMS providers hundreds of calls to learn. It condenses years of experience into a set of simple guidelines that you can incorporate into your current patient assessment technique. The ability to discriminate among important clinical indicators sets experienced EMS providers apart from novices. These indicators help answer the basic question that all providers must ask: Could this person die within the next 5, 10, or even 20 minutes?
Objectives:
- Describe the clinical picture, the sick and not sick categories, and the purpose of SICK/NOT SICK by correctly answering multiple case studies supporting the concept.
- Determine, in numerous scenarios, if a patient is SICK or NOT SICK, and describe a general course of treatment for each.