The systems of prevention of complications at patients of high risk

Preventing complications in patients with a high risk of critical condition developing and fatal outcome is one of the most poignant problems of modern health care. The main cause of death in the world is the diseases like infection, trauma and various nutritional disorders. The article presents a survey of literature offering various solutions that prevent the development of life-threatening conditions. It was proved that signs of clinical deterioration of patient’s condition appear more than eight hours before the development of a critical condition, which allows the necessary correction of therapy to be provided on time. According to the data provided, the most effective preventive measures are the system of checklists and early recognition of patients’ clinical deterioration. When using a checklist system, it is worth using mnemonic rules that reflect sequences of diagnostic search or therapy. When introducing early prevention systems into clinical practice, thorough attention should be paid to vital signs and behavioral disorders assessment. The most specific and sensitive signs that might indicate a high risk of developing a critical condition are heart rate and respiratory rate. The key element for effective use of early prevention systems is not only timely identification of clinical deterioration signs, but also a standardization of actions of healthcare personnel in case of complications, which was represented by the SBAR system (Situation – Background – Assessment – Recommendation).