TORNA ALL’ELENCO

An ER model for optimal approach to women victims of violence in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine

2013
AOU Città della Salute di Torino
ASL Cuneo 1
ASL Città di Torino

Tipo pubblicazione

Conference Abstract

Autori/Collaboratori (2)

Schinco P

Feola M

Abstract

Receiving domestic violence victims in ER is a relatively common occurrence for the medical staff, who is however rarely willing to intervene effectively. This leads to an underestimation of the cases of violence and actual errors in the care of the victims, resulting in secondary damage to health. Important issues are often not tackled, sequelae are not considered and the experience of the victims themselves is minimised with a serious impact on their mental health, including removal from further health proceedings. The underestimation encumbers a full understanding of the phenomenon and contributes to reduced communication with judicial authorities, which damages the court case of the victims. Our experience in handling cases of domestic violence has developed over several years: in 2012 we visited 356 patients (344 females and 12 males) and devised a model approach to patients in the Emergency Room that is not limited to health service but rather accompanies the victims step by step, through the intra- hospital care up to their discharge, with the constant presence of a contact person supporting their needs. In joining the triage patients are given an access code: a VIP code aimed at protecting their anonymity and privacy (similar to the access Pink Code adopted in Tuscany Region). After that, an individual path of tutoring is started by experienced health staff, specialised in Counselling or trained in specific courses, who immediately activate all the health and psychosocial resources available. Actions under the VIP code include: 1. Specific Triage and Screening protocol of un-declared violence. 2. Intervention of specialised staff (staff on the payroll of the Centre, volunteer staff that is detached from the workplace, hospital volunteers), who will follow the patient throughout the diagnostic or therapeutic process, even in case of prolonged hospitalization. 3. Acquisition of consent to data processing. 4. Accurate anamnesis and medical record of the

DOI : 10.1515/cclm-2013-0788

Keywords

ischemic heart disease; cardiovascular mortality; prevalence; edema; heart failure; liquid; urine volume; hypernatremia; prognosis; death; meta analysis; outpatient; predictive value; follow up; sodium blood level; patient; human; congestive heart failure; hyponatremia; vasopressin receptor antagonist; argipressin; loop diuretic agent; diuretic agent; vasopressin V2 receptor; tolvaptan; water; sodium; hospital; survival; water absorption; heart left ventricle ejection fraction; nephron; risk; gender; kidney function; diabetes mellitus; serum; dyspnea; stimulation; hospitalization; free water clearance; body weight; electrolyte disturbance; hypervolemia; thirst; parenteral nutrition; model; mortality; electrolyte blood level;