Acute medicine
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In the current climate of uncertainty over trainee working conditions and uneasy medical politics, more and more trainees are choosing to take planned time out of training. This is no longer considered an activity that unnecessarily prolongs one's training, and is generally welcomed by trainees and training programme directors alike.
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It has recently become apparent that a few trainees in Acute Internal Medicine (IM) have not been made aware of what the final outcome of their training might be. There is a need, therefore, to ensure that there are no surprises for individuals as they approach the end of training.
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little is known about the changes and trends of individual vital signs during the course of acute illness in hospital. ⋯ trends in respiratory rate, measured by observation at the bedside and given a ViEWS weighting is the best predictor of clinical outcome; minor changes predicted clinical outcome several days in advance.
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Following an emergency medical admission, patients may be admitted an acute medical assessment unit (AMAU) or directly into a ward. An AMAU provides a structured environment for their initial assessment and treatment. ⋯ Patients, with equivalent mortality risk, allocated initially to AMAU or a more traditional ward, appeared to have substantially different outcomes.