Quote:
Originally Posted by Trapper John
If Sepsis is at least 2 of the 4 criteria listed above, one of which is unavailable to a first responder, then from an EMTs POV its at least 2 of the three (WBCs not available) So, what conditions that an EMT responds to do not meet conditions 2&3 above? (Other than dead ones and opiod alcohol poisoning.  ) Should these be Dx as Sepsis? As a DDx tool for first responders - I think this is of very limited value.
Just my $0.02 worth. |
Agreed. Often times in medicine definitions arise from the need for standardizing conditions for the purpose of research and are not that helpful to the ones who first reach patients at Death's door and do initial stabilization. This is one of the challenges of field and emergency medicine as when the dust settles there will always be someone standing there in a controlled environment with more stable vitals, a full set of labs, and a CT result with a diagnosis saying "duh stupid!".
Remember, rapid afib for some patients is their sinus tachycardia. If you are sick or stressed and have afib, your afib just beats faster, just like your heart does. There are times when this will get the patient in trouble but often times rate control is contraindicated if you are blunting the patient's normal physiologic response E.G. sepsis, dehydration, hemorrhagic shock.
I've seen and given rate control in several instances where it was hard to pick up on an underlying cause. It happens. It is one of the perils of treating an undifferentiated patient without the luxury of time. It is our job to try to minimize this risk by doing the best quick review of systems that we can (including bystanders) AND realizing when an intervention is not needed just as much when it is needed.