DR ABCDE
acrostic/ˌdiː.ɑːr ˌeɪ.biː.siː.diːˈiː/
Emergency Medicine
Definition
1.The primary survey of a critically ill or injured patient.
Expansion
- DDanger — make the scene safe first
- RResponse — AVPU or "are you all right?"
- AAirway — patency, with C-spine control in trauma
- BBreathing — rate, sats, air entry; treat as you find
- CCirculation — pulse, BP, IV access, control bleeding
- DDisability — GCS, pupils, glucose ("don't ever forget glucose")
- EExposure — examine fully while preventing hypothermia
Notes
The backbone of resuscitation: a structured, repeatable survey where you treat each problem before moving on to the next letter. If the patient deteriorates, you go back to A and start again.
The mantra under D — don't ever forget glucose — has saved many a hypoglycaemic patient mistaken for a stroke.
Origin
The resuscitation alphabet — the order in which you keep a patient alive.