ASHICE
Currently, ASHICE is a topic that has captured the attention of millions of people around the world. From its origin to its current implications, ASHICE has been the subject of debates, studies and research that have attempted to decipher its impact on modern society. Whether from a historical, scientific, social or cultural perspective, ASHICE has aroused the interest of experts in different fields, who have dedicated time and effort to understand its influence on our lives. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of ASHICE and explore its many facets, analyzing its relevance and projection in the current context.
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ASHICE is one of several mnemonic acronyms used by emergency medical services in the United Kingdom and Ireland to pass summarised advance details of a patient to the next group of persons or organisation dealing with them, otherwise known as a "Pre-Alert" [1] other pre-alert acronyms include 'ATMIST' and 'CASMEET'. In the English and Welsh NHSs, the procedure is not used for non-critical patients on their eventual journey to hospital[2][3] but is used as standard procedure for handovers of patients before transport to hospital where a site or event is staffed by trained personnel of both paid or voluntary ambulance services. This procedure is in addition to written records of the patient's personal and medical details and any treatment or medication applied prior to transport to the hospital.
The word is treated as a noun by personnel (whether first aiders, community first responders or paramedics) who might refer to e.g. 'passing an ASHICE'. The purpose of an ASHICE message is to enable persons involved in the next stage of treatment to make an advance determination of the appropriate personnel and facilities to deal with a patient and the degree of urgency to be applied.
Meaning of the acronym
The acronym is used to pass all the most vital details of the patient to the receiving hospital in order to ensure staff have all the appropriate equipment and staff assembled and prepared.[4]
- Age — Patient's age
- Sex — Whether the patient is male or female
- History — The immediate cause of injury or description of illness and any relevant preceding factors such as medical history and medicines taken or not taken
- Injuries/Illness — What injuries have been sustained, or what illness symptoms are presenting
- Condition — Observations of the patient (pulse, BP etc.), interventions used (cannulation, intubation etc.)
- ETA - Estimated Time of Arrival at the receiving hospital
In the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance, the same acronym is used by First-Aiders in the stages between initial contact and handover (if any) to ambulance crew but the last letter is trained[5] as 'Everything Else'
References
- ^ Sheppard (2016). "Prevalence and predictors of hospital prealerting in acute stroke: a mixed methods study". Emergency Medicine Journal. 33 (7): 482–488. doi:10.1136/emermed-2014-204392. PMC 4941194. PMID 26949969.
- ^ South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust Quality Account 2009 – 2010 http://www.nhs.uk/aboutNHSChoices/professionals/healthandcareprofessionals/quality-accounts/Documents/south-east-coast-ambulance-service-nhs-trust.pdf
- ^ NHS Direct Wales - Standard Operating Procedure Hospital Pre-alert & Patient Handover http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/862/opendoc/215354
- ^ "Ambulance Technician Study". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-06-14.
- ^ 2015 Clinical Competence Assessment training material