Crisis Intervention: From 1 Different Sources
The provision of immediate advice or help by a variety of agencies such as social services departments to people with acute personal or sociomedical problems.
Crisis is a word used with several distinct meanings. (1) The traditional meaning is that of a rapid loss of fever and return to comparative health in certain acute diseases. For example, PNEUMONIA, if allowed to run its natural course, ends by a crisis usually on the eighth day, the temperature falling in 24 hours to normal, the pulse and breathing becoming slow and regular and the patient passing from a partly delirious state into natural sleep. In this sense of the word, the opposite of crisis is lysis: for example, in typhoid fever (see ENTERIC FEVER), where the patient slowly improves during a period of a week or more, without any sudden change. (2) A current use of the word crisis, and still more frequently of critical, is to signify a dangerous state of illness in which it is uncertain whether the sufferer will recover or not.... crisis
Comparison of outcomes between two or more groups of patients who have been intentionally given di?erent treatments or preventative measures, for example, diets. The subjects in the trial should be randomly allocated to the groups, with patients in one group – called controls – receiving no active treatment. If possible, neither patients nor doctors participating in a study should know which patients are receiving what treatment (double blind study/trial). Furthermore, groups should exchange treatments after a prearranged time (crossover study/trial). (See CLINICAL TRIALS; RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL.)... intervention study
A colloquial description of the feelings of anxiety and distress experienced by some individuals in early middle age. They realise that by 45 years of age they are no longer young, and men in particular try to turn the clock back by changing jobs, dressing trendily, taking up energetic or unusual sports or engaging in extramarital liaisons. Sometimes those in mid-life crises develop mild or even serious DEPRESSION. The feelings of anxiety and insecurity usually disappear with time but some people may bene?t from counselling.... mid-life crisis
Action at an early stage of a disease or social process.... early intervention
An activity or set of activities aimed at modifying a process, course of action or sequence of events in order to change one or several of their characteristics, such as performance or expected outcome. For example, it is used in public health to describe a programme or policy designed to have an impact on an illness or disease.... intervention / intervention strategy
Health promotion and disease prevention initiatives which do not require the direct involvement of the individual (e.g. fluoridation programmes) are termed “passive”.... passive intervention
an acute medical emergency due to a lack of corticosteroid production by the body, caused by disease of the adrenal glands or long-term suppression of production by steroid medication. It manifests as low blood pressure and collapse, biochemical abnormalities, hypoglycaemia, and (if untreated) coma and death. Treatment is with steroids, administered initially intravenously in high doses and later orally. In patients with poor adrenal function an Addisonian crisis is usually brought on by an acute illness, such as an infection. [T. Addison (1793–1860), British physician]... addisonian crisis
(CRHT) (in psychiatry) a multidisciplinary team in psychiatric services specialized in the treatment of severely mentally ill patients in their home environment. An additional remit of CRHTs is to try and avoid acute hospital admissions.... crisis resolution and home treatment team
acute obstruction of a kidney causing severe pain in the loins. The obstruction usually occurs at the junction of the renal pelvis and the ureter, causing the kidney to become distended with accumulated urine (see hydronephrosis). Sometimes the pelvis drains spontaneously, with relief of pain, but acute decompression of the kidney may be required with surgical relief of the obstruction (*pyeloplasty). [J. Dietl (1804–78), Polish physician]... dietl’s crisis
a subspecialty of cardiology concerned with the treatment of heart conditions using cardiac *catheterization techniques under local anaesthetic and X-ray control, including *percutaneous coronary intervention and percutaneous balloon mitral *valvuloplasty.... interventional cardiology
a branch of radiology in which complex procedures are performed using imaging guidance, which avoids patients having to undergo invasive surgery to achieve the same results. This is often termed ‘pinhole surgery’. Guidance is commonly by X-ray fluoroscopy, ultrasound, or computerized tomography, and recently also by magnetic resonance imaging. Procedures commonly performed include angioplasty and stenting of vascular structures, drainage of fluid collections or abscesses, stenting of obstructions to the gastrointestinal tract, embolization, cryotherapy, and radiofrequency ablation.... interventional radiology
(PCI) treatment of coronary artery disease delivered by cardiac *catheterization. This usually means *coronary angioplasty followed by insertion of a coronary *stent, but also includes more specialized procedures, such as rotational *atherectomy (rotablation). Primary PCI refers to the use of PCI as the first-line treatment to relieve coronary obstruction in S-T elevation *myocardial infarction, rather than *thrombolysis. Rescue PCI is used in the event of unsuccessful thrombolysis.... percutaneous coronary intervention
a framework for exploring how care is delivered, based on the idea that there are six main styles of interaction (prescriptive, informative, confronting, cathartic, catalytic, and supportive). The analysis is widely used to help health-care professionals develop an understanding of interpersonal relationships, reflect on their own practice, and enhance their interactions with clients.... six-category intervention analysis
(thyroid storm) a life-threatening condition due to an acute and severe exacerbation of previously undiagnosed or inadequately treated *thyrotoxicosis. It often follows infections, childbirth, nonthyroid surgery, or trauma but can occur without an obvious cause. The presenting features are a fever, severe agitation, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pains. An accelerated heart rate and irregularity of the heart rhythm can cause heart failure, and psychotic episodes or coma can result. Blood tests will reveal hyperthyroidism and may also show altered liver function, high blood sugar, high calcium levels, a high white blood cell count, and often anaemia. Treatment is with intravenous fluids, oxygen, antithyroid drugs (such as *carbimazole or *propylthiouracil), high-dose iodide solution (see Lugol’s solution), high-dose steroids, and beta blockers. The patient must be cooled and given antipyretics, such as paracetamol. Any underlying cause must also be treated.... thyroid crisis
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