Chronic illness masquerading as acute injury in pre-hospital care
1South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Highcroft, Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5DH, UK. charlesdeakin@doctors.org.uk
Abstract:
Clinical diagnosis in pre-hospital care is challenging. It aims to identify life-threatening pathology that requires immediate treatment prior to evacuation to hospital. This case report present two elderly patients injured in a road traffic accident who presented with signs consistent with acute life-threatening pathology. Subsequent investigations in hospital revealed that in both patients, the underlying pathology was secondary to chronic malignancy and not as a result of any injury sustained during the accident. The importance of past medical history and the incidence of co-morbidity in relation to pre-hospital care are discussed.
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Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
