Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-p566r Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T00:51:46.113Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Organisation and delivery of emergency care in early pregnancy and acute gynaecology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2014

Roy Farquharson
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
Caroline Overton
Affiliation:
St Michael's University Hospital
Davor Jurkovic
Affiliation:
University College London
Roy Farquharson
Affiliation:
University of Liverpool
Get access

Summary

Introduction

Early pregnancy problems account for a major part of all gynaecological emergencies. Other less common gynaecological emergencies are acute pain, severe vaginal bleeding and collapse, which are covered in detail in other chapters.

All women with early pregnancy and acute gynaecological problems should receive prompt referral to a dedicated early pregnancy unit that provides efficient, evidence-based care with access to appropriate information and counselling. The National Service Framework recommends that all women should have access to an early pregnancy unit, which should be easily available (www.earlypregnancy.org.uk). Ideally, these services should also be directly accessible to GPs.

A report of the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death in 2007 stated that when a patient with an acute healthcare problem arrives in hospital, he or she requires prompt clinical assessment, appropriate investigations and institution of a clear management plan. There should be an early decision regarding the need to involve all relevant specialties and other required services followed by a timely review by an appropriately trained senior clinician. This should be undertaken in an environment that is best suited to meet the patient's clinical needs. Although there is conflicting opinion on the optimal location for the assessment of emergency admissions, it has been recommended that women presenting with early pregnancy complications should undergo initial assessment in dedicated emergency assessment units. The rationale for the use of emergency assessment units is that they can reduce both the emergency department's workload and hospital length of stay.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×