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EMERGENCY MEDICINE

Emergency medicine stands as a vital medical specialty within the health landscape, acting as the first line of defense in critical situations that threaten the health and life of patients. Its dynamic and multidisciplinary approach makes it a fundamental pillar for comprehensive health care, providing immediate and specialized support in the most challenging moments". Concept and scope of emergency medicine Emergency medicine is defined as the branch of medicine that is responsible for the evaluation, diagnosis and initial treatment of patients who have acute or traumatic pathologies that compromise their health status immediately. Its scope of action ranges from pre-hospital care, provided at the scene of the incident, to the stabilization and management of the patient in the hospital emergency department. THE DOCTORS AND NURSES HANDBOOK General Medical and Nursing Practice and Theory for Hospital Staff Paperback version, 7X10 Full 16 Font Types of medical...

DIAGNOSIS AND MEDICAL HISTORY

** A chronological basis for patient records **

The term “Diagnosis” encompasses determining the nature of a disease. Diagnosis must combine an adequate clinical history (personal and family history, and current illness), a complete physical examination, and complementary examinations (laboratory tests and diagnostic imaging).

Some diseases such as measles and mumps are easily identified by their appearance. Other problems such as bone fractures can be suspected by their symptoms and signs, and are confirmed by X-rays. But many symptoms require a more complex diagnostic procedure. Confirmation of a gastric ulcer, for example, requires the introduction of an endoscope into the stomach. Coronary disease can be suspected by the characteristics of the pain and by electrocardiographic changes, but definitive evidence can only be obtained by coronary angiography, a technique in which a contrast substance is injected into the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. Diagnosing many types of cancer requires a biopsy, which is a sample of affected tissue for microscopic examination. Diagnosing a number of fetal diseases is now possible by ultrasound or by analysis of amniotic fluid obtained by amniocentesis.

Laboratory tests are becoming increasingly important. Measuring hormone levels identifies endocrine disorders. Counting the different types of blood cells, called differential counts, is used to diagnose different types of anemia and some types of leukemia and other cancers. Microbiological cultures of fluids and tissues are used to identify the microorganisms that cause infectious diseases and are essential for rational treatment with antibiotics.

Many diseases, such as headaches, are difficult to diagnose because they can be caused by many different things. Some neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Huntington's chorea, can only be identified with certainty after several years of clinical observation of the patient. To refine their diagnoses, doctors and other health care professionals hold regular meetings (called clinical sessions) in which difficult-to-solve cases are discussed.

THE DOCTORS AND NURSES HANDBOOK

General Medical and Nursing Practice and Theory for Hospital Staff


Paperback version, 7X10 Full 16 Font


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