A 57-year-old male presented to the ED with severe abdominal pain for 1 day. No allergies or significant past medical history. His vitals are: Temp 37.6 Celsius, BP 100/55, HR 110/min, RR 20/min and O2 Saturation is 99% on room air.
What level of care does this patient require?
To learn more about it, read chapters below.
Read "Shock" Chapter
Read "Scores" Chapter
Quick Read
Shock Index
SHOCK INDEX (SI) = Heart Rate / Systolic Blood Pressure
Application
SI can be used to identify patients needing a higher level of care despite vital signs that may not appear strikingly abnormal. This index is a sensitive indicator of left ventricular dysfunction and can become elevated following a reduction in left ventricular stroke work.
Interpretation
- Normal SI = 0.5 to 0.7
- If SI > 0.9 was helpful to identify patients in the ED requiring admission and/or intensive care despite apparently stable vital signs
- Persistent high SI has been associated with poor outcome
The answer to the above clinical scenario: By applying the above equation, (110/100 = 1.1), this patient has a high shock index and requires a high level of care.
