Developed by WHO and International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC), in collaboration with the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM), the *Basic Emergency Care (BEC): Approach to the Acutely Ill and Injured* course is an open-access training course for first contact health workers who manage acute illness and injury with limited resources.
Course contents
Module 1: The ABCDE and SAMPLE history approach:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: list the hazards and elements that must be considered when approaching an ill or injured person safely; describe the components of the systematic ABCDE approach to emergency patients; assess each element of the ABCDE approach (assess an airway & explain when to use airway devices and when advanced airway management is needed; assess breathing and explain when to assist breathing; assess fluid status (circulation) and provide appropriate fluid resuscitation); describe the signs and symptoms of acute life-threatening conditions; describe the critical ABCDE actions for acute life-threatening conditions; describe special paediatric considerations for the ABCDE approach; list the elements of and perform a relevant SAMPLE history; consider disposition of emergency patients for handover / transfer.
Module 2: Trauma:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: perform the trauma primary survey (ABCDE approach to trauma); recognize life-threatening injuries; identify critical actions for high-risk conditions; recognize key history findings suggestive of high-risk trauma; recognize physical exam findings suggestive of high-risk trauma; know how to perform the trauma secondary survey (head-to-toe trauma exam); recognize and manage important conditions based on history and secondary survey; identify special considerations for pregnant trauma patients; identify special considerations for paediatric trauma patients; consider disposition of trauma patients.
Module 3: Difficulty in Breathing:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: understand key elements from a SAMPLE history for a patient with difficulty in breathing; recognize key history findings suggestive of different causes of difficulty in breathing; describe how to perform a secondary exam for a patient with difficulty in breathing; recognize the signs of difficulty in breathing , list the high-risk causes of difficulty in breathing
Module 4: Shock:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: recognize signs of shock and poor perfusion; perform critical actions for patients with shock; assess fluid status; select appropriate fluid administration based on patient’s age, weight and condition; recognize malnourishment, anaemia and burns and adjust fluid resuscitation accordingly.
Module 5: Altered Mental Status:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: recognize key history findings suggestive of different causes of altered mental status; recognize key physical findings suggestive of different causes of altered mental status; list high-risk causes of altered mental status in adults and children; perform critical actions for high-risk causes of altered mental status.
Module 6: Transfer and Handover:
By the end of this module, you should be able to: analyse the steps needed to transferring patients (destination planning, transport, and handover); reflect on the importance of ensuring the level of services at destination facility match the needs of the patient; anticipate needs that may arise during transport; conduct a structured handover using the SBAR steps (situation, background, assessment, recommendation).
Course duration: Approximately 7 hours.
Enroll On-line here: openwho.org/courses/bec
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