2 hours later whilst routinely checking the patients on the ward you notice that Maisie is lying slumped awkwardly in her bed.
Q. You go over to check on her, what should you do? Answer Yes or No to each question below.
Q. You go over to check on her, what should you do?
Carefully reposition her pillows and leave her to sleep – No – it would not be appropriate to leave her to sleep as you would need to reassess her conscious level.
Try to rouse her – Yes – Correct, Maisie has collapsed, shake her and ask her if she is alright and if she can open her eyes. If she responds normally and has a patent airway, is breathing and has brain perfusion. Failure of the patient to respond is a clear marker of deterioration. Visit STARs CC 6 and resuscitation guidelines: abcde approach to refresh your knowledge of the unconscious patient.
Do another set of observations straight away – Yes – you need to reassess her conscious level.
Call crash team – No – this would not be appropriate as this stage.
Start oxygen therapy – No – you need to reassess her conscious level before starting any treatment.
Page last reviewed: 04 Mar 2021
