Acute emergency situations

An essential part of nursing in an acute care area is to be fully prepared to deal promptly and effectively with any acute emergency situation. More acutely ill patients are being cared for within ward environments, which place an ever-increasing need for staff to be competent and confident in the care and management of those at risk of cardiac arrest. The importance of a multidisciplinary and coordinated response to acute emergencies is explored in this chapter which focuses on using evidence-based resuscitation procedures. Early identification of peri-arrest arrhythmias and the management of patient in cardiac arrest to maximize patient survival are the cornerstones of this chapter. There is also brief discussion of the utility of cardiac pacing and cardioversion and the management of the patient with anaphylaxis.