The A&E department of Lincoln County hospital has started a project to improve the detection of patients presenting with dissecting aortic aneurysms. This is an uncommon condition where there is a tear in the lining of the aorta, the main blood vessel out of the heart.
This condition is dangerous, but it can be difficult to diagnose, as patients often present with a range of subtle clinical findings. The team, led by Dr Subrahmanyam, have developed a simple mnemonic, called the ‘Truman Show’, intended to help A&E staff identify clinical features that should prompt them to request a CT scan.
They have created stickers with the ‘Truman Show’ to go in the patient’s A&E notes when they arrive. They will be evaluating the effectiveness of the stickers over the next two months and hope this will help to improve the care of their patients.