Acute medicine
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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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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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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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Proximal muscle weakness can present acutely or subacutely to the Acute Medical Unit. Early diagnosis of the underlying pathology is essential due to life threatening complications such as respiratory failure and cardiac disturbances as well as causing significant levels of disability. ⋯ Assessment of respiratory function should be done promptly to identify patients with associated respiratory muscle weakness and treatment should not be delayed waiting for definitive and confirmatory investigations. Poor response to treatment is unusual when diagnosis is correct; this raises the possibility of an alternative diagnosis.