ASHICE: An Integral Mnemonic for Emergency Services

Among the variety of mnemonics used within emergency services, one stands out in particular: ASHICE. This tool is instrumental in summarising a patient's history and current condition, providing crucial information that aids hospitals in ensuring the right specialists are available upon the patient's arrival. It also enhances effective communication and seamless patient handover between clinicians.

Breaking Down ASHICE

Let's break down the acronym to understand what each letter stands for and the information it represents:

• A - Age: This refers to the age of the patient.
• S - Sex: This represents the gender of the patient, whether they are male or female.
• H - History: Here, a summary of what has transpired is given. For example, "The patient was involved in a frontal impact Road Traffic Collision (RTC) with a stationary vehicle at approximately 50 miles per hour."
• I - Injuries: This includes a list of injuries sustained by the patient. For instance, "The patient has sustained maxillofacial injuries, chest injuries, abdominal injuries, with the possibility of internal injuries and bleeds."
• C - Condition: The patient's vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse rate, respiration, oxygen levels, saturations, Glasgow Coma Scale score, revised trauma scores. Additionally, it notes whether the patient is cannulated, intubated, or any medications given like Aspirin, oxygen, GTN.
• E - Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA): The anticipated time the patient will reach the hospital.

ASHICE: A Summary of Patient's Condition

In essence, ASHICE serves as a concise, yet comprehensive summary of a patient's condition. This mnemonic is not only efficient but also incredibly effective in conveying vital information rapidly to ensure appropriate and timely medical intervention.