Abstract
Whenever a patient does not display clinical signs of preserved vital functions (e.g. awake, alert, orientated patient or patient with an obviously normal breathing pattern) and is not continuously monitored, vital functions need to be checked without delay. The technique to do so is straightforward and also known as the A-B-C approach. When performed by an experienced examiner, it takes only a few moments. No handover or diagnostic procedure should be performed before vital functions have been checked. This is particularly important when patients who are unstable, intubated and mechanically ventilated are brought into the emergency department or intensive care unit. Before handover starts, be sure to put your fingers on the carotid artery in order to ensure that cardiac arrest is not missed!
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Dünser, M.W., Dankl, D., Petros, S., Mer, M. (2018). Checking Vital Functions. In: Dünser, M., Dankl, D., Petros, S., Mer, M. (eds) Clinical Examination Skills in the Adult Critically Ill Patient . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77365-0_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-77365-0_3
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