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Clinical Findings and Identification

A review

The lecture duration is 16min.

0.5 CPD Points, 0.5 CEUs, 0.5 CME credits approval pending.
Accredited by CPDUK, CBRN and Provider Pending.

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Martin Dünser
Consultant Department of Critical Care University College of London Hospital London, UK
Lecture Summary

Our clinical acumen is a powerful, and often underappreciated tool to identify patients with an infection and a high disease severity (academically referred to as sepsis). Severe disease can be recognized by the following clinical findings: the first impression, altered mental state, diaphoresis or profuse sweating, tachypnea as well as the work and type of breathing, tachycardia and reduced skin perfusion such as prolonged capillary refill time and skin mottling (reflecting centralization), as well as in severe cases petechiae and other skin indicators of disseminated intravascular coagulation.

Target Audience

Emergency Medicine Doctors
Emergency Medicine Nurses
Paramedics
Rural GP's

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this activity, you should be able to:

  • Understand the importance of the clinical acumen to assess disease severity in patients with infection
  • Recognize clinical signs of an altered mental state
  • Recognize clinical signs of respiratory dysfunction
  • Recognize clinical signs of cardiovascular dysfunction/shock
  • Recognize clinical signs of coagulopathy

None.