Premium
CT32
WHEN TO CALL THE SURGEON
Author(s) -
Shaw D. P.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
anz journal of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.426
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-2197
pISSN - 1445-1433
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-2197.2007.04115_30.x
Subject(s) - medicine , flags register , boss , protocol (science) , medical emergency , flag (linear algebra) , medical education , alternative medicine , materials science , mathematics , pathology , computer science , pure mathematics , metallurgy , algebra over a field , operating system
Not infrequently, a patient status has changed and the surgeon is not informed. This not only leads to frustration but potentially bad outcomes. Devising a protocol for when to call the surgeon is fraught with difficulties. Frequently they are so complicated that individuals were unable to remember them thus the protocols are not applied. High turnover of junior staff means that large protocol books are not read. The below three rules are designed to fulfil the role of protocols. They are compulsory flags for when the surgeon is to be called. They are not guides to management nor comments on adequacy of management. Their intent is to flag a change in status of the patient. The compulsory nature of the flags reduces the decision making and stress for the resident staff as to whether or not they should be calling the boss. The surgeon is to be called when1 The patient is to receive blood or blood products 2 The inotropes dose is doubled from admission 3 A vasoconstrictor is started