Recently I was treating a man on prac who was quite medically unwell. He had responded badly to pain killers / general anaesthesia and was narcotised, disoriented and somewhat delirious. The doctors and surgeons kept stressing to anyone who would listen that the only people who could help him at the moment were the physios - no pressure! My problem was, while attempting to treat this man he was so out of it that he would repeatedly fall asleep midway during an SMI and be difficult to rouse again for several minutes. He remained like this for a couple of days, yet the medical team kept insisting that we see him many times a day for chest clearance. He was in no state to even respond to questioning let alone follow commands and clear his airways. My question is, when is a patient too unwell (or almost unconscious!) to receive beneficial help? Surely they need to be able to actively participate for it to be in their best interest?
Dani
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