Caring for people with Down syndrome in A&E
Intended for healthcare professionals
Clinical Previous     Next

Caring for people with Down syndrome in A&E

Bonnie-Marie Houghton Royal Air Force Staff Nurse currently working, A&E Department of Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, Hampshire

Bonnie-Marie Houghton discusses the clinical considerations when dealing with people with Down syndrome in A&E

The concept of vulnerability is commonly used in the health care setting, though it is often ill defined (Rogers 1997). The notion of vulnerability is an important concept for health care professionals to understand as it impacts upon the social, physiological and psychological bearing of an individual and their access to health service provision (Rogers 1997). Certain groups in society create additional demands on the health care system by virtue of their specific needs. One such group is people with learning disabilities, specifically Down syndrome. By definition, these individuals may be defined as vulnerable. As there is little or no literature pertaining to this group, this article aims to address some of the fundamental issues that concern practitioners when dealing with people with Down syndrome in the emergency care setting.

Emergency Nurse. 9, 2, 24-27. doi: 10.7748/en2001.05.9.2.24.c1358

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more