Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Initial approach to the acutely ill patient

Course information

This course is also available in the following languages:

Soomaaliga - Español - Português - Russian

Overview: The Clinical Management of Patients with COVID-19 course series is developed for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series provides crucial knowledge necessary to provide safe, effective quality patient care. Presentations address all aspects of clinical management, including facility preparation and surge planning; health worker infection prevention and control; transfer and handover; clinical management of mild, moderate, and severely ill patients with COVID-19; special considerations for geriatric, pregnant, and pediatric patients with COVID-19; rehabilitation; and ethics and palliative care.

The course series includes video lectures and downloadable presentations that have been updated with the latest guidance and evidence. Each module contains 5-10 lectures, and each lecture includes a quiz to evaluate knowledge acquisition.

Should you be interested in learning more about other aspects of clinical management of patients with COVID-19, please refer to the following courses of the Clinical Management of Patients with COVID-19 course series:

• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: General considerations

• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Investigations and care for mild, moderate and severe disease

• Clinical management of patients with COVID-19: Rehabilitation of patients with COVID-19

Learning objectives: By the end of this course, participants should be able to:

• explain the COVID-19 care pathway, including screening, isolation, acuity-based triage and patient release from the pathway;
• explain the role of acuity-based triage;
• describe the integrated interagency routine facility triage tool and its application to adult and pediatric triage;
• describe key elements in designating a resuscitation area in an emergency unit;
• use the WHO medical emergency checklist in the management of a seriously ill patient;
• relate the components of the ABCDE systematic approach to the acutely ill patient;
• list the components of the SAMPLE history;
• explain the structure, organization and application of the ABCDE systematic approach for the acutely ill patient;
• identify key causes, signs and symptoms and management for: acute airway obstruction, difficulty in breathing, poor perfusion and shock and altered mental status; and
• discuss special considerations and management differences for the acutely ill paediatric patient presenting with: acute airway obstruction, difficulty in breathing, poor perfusion and altered mental status.

Course duration: This course will take approximately 6 hours to complete.

Certificates: A Record of Achievement certificate will be available to participants who score at least 80% of the total points available across all of the quizzes. A Confirmation of Participation certificate is also available for participants who complete at least 80% of the course material. Participants who receive a Record of Achievement can also download an Open Badge for this course. Click here to learn how.

Course contents

• Module 1: Screening and triage:

  Module objectives: explain the COVID-19 care pathway; describe screening, isolation and acuity-based triage as outlined in the COVID-19 care pathway, and identify mechanisms by which a patient can be released from the COVID-19 care pathway.

• Module 2: The integrated interagency triage tool:

  Module objectives: describe triage processes; relate the goals of triage processes; identify the management goals and urgency for patients triaged as Red, Yellow or Green; apply the routine facility interagency integrated triage tool for adult cases; apply the routine facility interagency integrated triage tool for paediatric cases.

• Module 3: Resuscitation area designation:

  Module objectives: explain the rationale for a clearly designated resuscitation space; identify four characteristics important to a functional resuscitation space; list key material resources present in a resuscitation space; describe the arrival, triage, and resuscitation process for a patient triaged as Red; and identify the steps that should be taken before providers leave the resuscitation area.

• Module 4: The WHO medical emergency checklist:

  Module objectives: describe the medical emergency checklist, and identify the ways in which it supports clinical judgement; outline key phases in checklist implementation; describe the two pause points of the checklist, including the rationale and appropriate timing of each.

• Module 5: The ABCDE approach to the acutely ill patient:

  Module objectives: relate the components of the ABCDE systematic approach to the acutely ill patient; list the elements of a SAMPLE history; explain the importance of using the ABCDE systematic approach for every acutely ill patient, regardless of their COVID-19 status; describe key differences in the acutely ill pediatric patient, including danger signs and appropriate interventions.

• Module 6: Approach to the patient with difficulty in breathing:

  Module objectives: perform the ABCDE systematic approach for the patient with difficulty in breathing; take a targeted SAMPLE history for the patient with difficulty in breathing; list common causes of difficulty in breathing; describe critical skills to perform for the patient with difficulty in breathing.

• Module 7: Approach to the patient with shock:

  Module objectives: perform the ABCDE systematic approach for patients with shock; take a targeted SAMPLE history of patients with shock; list common causes of shock; describe critical skills to perform for the patient with shock; explain how to monitor patients receiving intravenous fluids for shock, and why monitoring is critically important.

• Module 8: Approach to the patient with altered mental status:

  Module objectives: perform the ABCDE systematic approach for the patient with altered mental status; take a targeted SAMPLE history for a patient with altered mental status; list possible causes of altered mental status; describe critical skills to perform for the patient with altered mental status.