WHAT IS GENERAL MEDICINE?
General Medicine is also referred to as Internal Medicine, this medical specialty deals with preventing, diagnosing and the non-surgical treatments of diseases that are related to the internal organs in adults. General medicine covers the vast majority of hospital-based specialties.
The care begins with diagnosis, resulting in a planned treatment schedule and regular monitoring leading to recuperation. A whole host of ailments are treated including conditions that affect the cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, neurological, haematological or endocrine systems.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A GENERAL PHYSICIAN?
General Physicians are highly trained specialists who provide a range of non-surgical health care to adult patients. They care for difficult, serious or unusual medical problems and continue to treat the patient until these problems have resolved or stabilised. With a vast understanding of the human body and range of treatments, General Physicians differ from other specialists who limit their medical practice to problems involving only one body system or to a special area of medical knowledge.
A GP begins assesment by asking the patient about current symptoms, their onset, duration, character, relieving and exacerbating factors and previous tests and treatments. Other medical problems, medications, allergies, social and family history are also considered as important points of reference.
General physicians can arrange a diverse range of tests to ascertain the patient’s condition and confirm their clinical suspicion. These may include bedside tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), urinalysis (U/A), blood sugar level, blood pressure, faecal occult blood test. Occasionally a biopsy or small piece of tissue is required for diagnosis. Imaging done by radiologists like X-Rays, CT scans, ultrasound or MRI are also used in some cases.
CRITICAL CARE AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
WHAT IS EMERGENCY MEDICINE & CRITICAL CARE?
Emergency medicine is a medical specialty that equips physicians with the knowledge and skills required to care for patients with very urgent and often life-threatening healthcare needs. Emergency care is provided to acutely ill and injured patients of all ages. Some examples of emergency care are heart attacks, strokes, fractures, asthma attacks, injuries resulting from car crashes, pregnancy related emergencies and overdoses.
Critical care is the provision of specialised, continuous, multidisciplinary care for patients in a life-threatening, but treatable condition, who require some or all of the following:Continuous clinical direction and care from a specialist consultant-led medical team and constant attention from specialist nursing staff
Continuous, uninterrupted physiological monitoring, supervised by staff who are able to interpret and immediately act on the information.
Artificial organ support