Patient Handover Procedure: Using the ATMIST Acronym

Introduction to Patient Handover

In this section, we will discuss the patient handover process, utilising the ATMIST acronym to provide essential information to incoming ambulance crews or paramedics.

Understanding ATMIST

The ATMIST acronym simplifies the handover process, ensuring vital information is communicated concisely and effectively:

• A: Age and relevant demographics, such as name and gender.
• T: Time of incident, injury, or onset of symptoms.
• M: Mechanism of injury or incident.
• I: Injuries sustained.
• S: Signs, including vital signs such as oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure.
• T: Treatment provided and any changes in the patient's condition since treatment initiation.

Practical Demonstration: Patient Handover

Now, let's observe a practical demonstration of patient handover:

Paramedic: "Okay mate, what have we got?"

First Responder: "This is Rob. Approximately 12:00 today, which is around 15 minutes ago, Rob was cleaning windows on a ladder approximately three-quarters of a meter in height. He has fallen from the top rung onto concrete floor, with a suspected fracture to his lower left leg. Pulse is palpable beyond the site of the injury."

Vital Signs:

• Respiratory Rate: 22
• Pulse: 106
• Blood Pressure: 136/92
• Oxygen Saturation: 97%

Treatment:

• Entonox administered for approximately five minutes.
• Initial pain score: 8, reduced to 5 after Entonox use.

"All vital signs have remained stable throughout."

Paramedic: "Right, thanks Mike. I will take it from here. Hi Rob. My name is Duncan. I'm from the ambulance service. I'll be looking after you from this point on. We will just go through a few questions and then we'll get you some pain relief."