NEWS2 and Fingerprick Glucose Procedures

Question 1

NEWS2 demonstration example:

Answer 1

1. Introduce yourself
2. Confirm patient’s name and date of birth
3. Gain consent to assess observations
4. Grab equipment
5. Sanitise hands
6. Use pulse ox to measure O2 sats
7. Use wrist to measure pulse and RR
8. Use cuffs to measure BP
9. Use thermometer to check temperature
10. Sanitise hands afterwards

Question 2

How to document NEWS2?

Answer 2

1. Check patient’s name and DOB
2. Put in the date and time
3. Tick relevant boxes
4. Add all scores to calculate NEWS2

Question 3

Fingerprick glucose demonstration:

Answer 3

1. Wear gloves and PPE
2. Grab relevant equipment - hand sanitiser, lancet, BG machine, BG strips
3. Introduce yourself
4. Confirm patient’s name and DOB
5. Explain procedure - use small needle to insert into finger, drop of blood placed onto strip and placed into machine
6. Sanitise patient’s finger
7. Use lancet to prick patient’s finger
8. Dispose in sharps box
9. Place strip into the machine to turn it on
10. Place blood onto strip
11. Machine beeps, count down from 5
12. Machine displaces BGL

Question 4

For NEWS2, why is it important to wait a few seconds before recording O2 sats?

Answer 4

Initial O2 sats may not be accurate, few seconds = allows reading to stabilise

Question 5

Why is automated BP unreliable with an irregular pulse?

Answer 5

Because automated machines are calibrated to sinus rhythms, not arrhythmias