ABSTRACT

The respective roles of doctors and nurses have changed substantially in the last few years. Some nurses are now more specialised in certain areas, and increasingly take on some traditional 'doctor' roles. Different hospitals adopt different policies with regard to who carries the on-call bleep, from the consultant to the most junior member of the team. Remember to be courteous and helpful to all general practitioners who refer patients. The surgeon and anaesthetist comprise the core medical team responsible for the management of the acute surgical patient. Ultrasound is useful in evaluating and diagnosing hepatobiliary, pancreatic, vascular and gynaecological pathology. Early abdominal Computerised tomography in patients presenting with an acute abdomen has been shown to reduce hospital stay and perhaps mortality. A conflict that frequently occurs between the surgeon and anaesthetist is the timing of surgery for patients with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions who present at night.