Recognising and responding to acute deterioration in adult patients

At the end of this module participants will be able to:‍

• Describe the three steps to recognising and responding to acute deterioration: Detecting and recognising acute deterioration, Escalating care, and Responding to acute deterioration.
• Understand the role of vital signs monitoring and documentation in identifying patients who are deteriorating.
• Identify early warning signs to indicate changes in an individual’s mental state.
• Identify the parameters and indicators used to initiate an escalation of care.
• Recognise worry and concern by clinicians, patients, families, and carers as an essential indicator of acute deterioration.
• Describe a tiered escalation protocol and recommendations for caring for patients in the ‘yellow zone’, ‘red zone’, and those experiencing a medical emergency.
• Understand how an appropriate response to acute deterioration is provided through timely access to care, advanced life support, and referral to mental health services or specialised health services, as appropriate.
• Describe the importance of communicating the plan of care with clinicians, patients, carers, and families.
• Identify key features of documentation following recognition and response to an acute deterioration.