EMERGENCY CARE THEN AND NOW

MANILA, Philippines - In today’s generation, where proper medical practices and

technologies are made available to everyone, emergency situations can be properly handled
and well taken care of in various hospitals that adhere to the protocols and guidelines of
Emergency Medicine (EM).

Thirty years ago, however, hospitals responded differently to cases requiring immediate
care.

Before the practice of EM materialized in the Philippines, the emergency room was nothing
more than a room. According to Dr. Esteban Almeda, Asian Hospital and Medical Center’s
(AHMC) Emergency Department (ED) chairman, hospitals did not have specialized systems
to provide optimal emergency medical care.

There was medical staff in attendance such as nurses, medical students and resident
doctors, though none specifically trained to tend to emergencies, said Almeda. patient
would have to wait for an hour or more before definitive care was given.

Medical institutions abroad began studying how to effectively and swiftly respond to
emergencies. The United States started it in the 70s, understanding the perception that
emergency medical care starts at the door, eventually developing efficient pre-hospital
emergency medical systems,said Almeda, adding that developing standards for medical care
is a continuous and dynamic process.

EM in the Philippines began in 1988 and since then it has grown to be a recognized
specialty by the Philippine Medical Association. From day one, AHMC imbibed the
standards of EM with its patient-centered philosophy.

There’s nobody in training. You are attended by a specialist who will care for you from the
start of your visit up until you are discharged to go home or admitted to the hospital, said
Almeda, adding that AHMC was the first in the country to have an emergency medicine
specialist, nurses and clinical aids than solely from the emergency medical staff.

Throughout its development, AHMC has sought to adopt the most current EM practices
such as point-of-care testing, with a laboratory incorporated in the Emergency Department,
efficiently reducing the turnaround time for most tests.

AHMC also practices evidence-based triage protocols, where patients are attended to based
on the severity of their condition and not on a first-come, first-served way.

Currently staffed by 27 experienced emergency physicians, more than 70 staff nurses and
clinical aids with a strong camaraderie ” a trait unique to an ED ” the department’s design
was closely patterned after modern hospitals in the US.

It incorporates features that are unique here in the Philippines such as separate entrances
for walk-in patients and those borne by ambulances and treatment rooms providing patient
privacy. The treatment areas are composed of primary care, pediatric and urgent care
rooms, eight critical and trauma care bays, and three rooms for patients with
communicable illnesses.

Because the Emergency Department is one of the doors to the hospital, AHMC pays
constant attention to improving its efficiency.To design our facilities and processes with a
Patient First state of mind, Almeda said.
SUMMARY:

-The article is all about How the emergency room evolved overtime looking forward to
improving health care delivery specially in the ER. The article states that there should be
modernized facilities that can provide easier health care process and Providing Immediate
care however not fully Implemented.

In this case people from diffirent institutions further studied about this and had given more
attention on how to develop our Health care system protocols that will respond to
immediate care in the emergency room.

Nursing Implementation:

ER nurses should work quickly assess the needs of each patient, prioritize care based on
its critical nature, and work to stabilize a patient, treat the problem, discharge the patient
after the emergency is over or make arrangements for a longer hospital stay.

Reaction:

Improvements are being made, but rapid advancements are needed. Emergency response is
rapidly evolving . Advances in communications and technology can provide faster
emergency responds such as Mobile and cellular telephones. Perhaps the greatest change
in response planning and practice in the past decade, though, has been the integration of
new groups and disciplines. In addition, the federal government has become more active in
response planning, and business and industry are taking more responsibility for
augmenting community emergency response capabilities. The Decade can build on these
technological developments and cooperative trends.