Casualty & Emergency

Casualty & Emergency started newly on 01 April 2018 is an 8 bedded emergency that is committed to caring for the emergency patients. Qualified and certified doctors of different medical specialties at YHPL are enlisted to execute their works assisted by well-trained paramedic staff. This section deals with road accident cases, severe bleeding, poisoning cases, broken bones or compound wound cases, severe chest pain, stroke, burns, suicide & cases that need immediate medical attention and care.

Urgent Care Services

The emergency department assesses and treats people with serious injuries or conditions and those in need of emergency treatment. Its open 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. It is sometimes referred to as ‘casualty’, ‘accident and emergency’ or ‘A&E’. The outreach team and the resuscitation team are specialist teams that respond to emergency calls and give advanced clinical advice or treatment if a patient’s condition is deteriorating. For maternity emergencies, the labour ward offers a high dependency unit to care for women with rare, but more severe, complications of pregnancy.

Information:

To diagnose casualty, use your senses to obtain maximum information;

“Look, Speak, Listen, Feel and Smell”

If the casualty is conscious:

1. Look and size up the problem as you approach
2. Ask him if he has pain and where it is
3. Examine that part first
4. Ask him if he thinks there is anything else wrong
5. Examine the casualty carefully in a regular and methodical manner by running your hands gently but firmly over all parts of
6. the body. Start at the head and neck, and then check the spine and trunk; the upper limbs, the lower limbs.
7. Handle injured parts gently but firmly
8. Make sure there are no other injuries present, which may be masked by pain, by checking for tenderness and bleeding
9. Always compare abnormal parts with the normal side. The first aider need only remove enough of the casualty’s clothing to
10. expose the injuries and treat them. Then check:
     
    • Count the pulse – noting its strength and rhythm
    • Colour of skin, the nail beds and the inside of the eyelids
    • The nature of the breathing – listen to it: smell the breath
    • The temperature of the body – whether hot or cold to the touch.

If the casualty is unconscious:

1. Note if breathing is present: if absent, immediately commence artificial respiration;
2. Examine over and under the casualty for dampness which might indicate bleeding. Stop any serious bleeding before
3. proceeding further with the examination;
4. Bear in mind the possibility of internal bleeding
5. Establish the cause of unconsciousness by examining the
6. Breathing – rate and depth
7. Pulse — rate and character
8. Face and skin – colour, temperature and condition
9. Pupils of the eyes
10. Head for injury
11. Ears, eyes, nose and mouth for blood and other signs
12. Whole body for signs of injury.