Common Scenarios

Common Illnesses and Injuries that would be Treated at Health First Strathcona Primary Care Centre   
 
Scenario 1

Ron and his two children were at Millenium Place on Sunday night when Ron's son got a cut on his chin from a friend's hockey stick. Ron put the kids in the car to head home, but decided to swing by Health First Strathcona Primary Care Care Centre to see if his son should get any stitches. It was a good thing that he did because the physician advised him that stitches should be done immediately to reduce the chance of a scar. The physician put in four stitches, said he would let their family physician know of the child's visit and asked Ron to take his son back to their own physician in a few days to have the stitches removed.

Scenario 2

Jenny's nine month old daughter started to cry soon after supper and wouldn't settle down. At bedtime, her cheeks were flushed, she felt hot and she was screaming constantly. At 11:00 p.m., Jenny had run out of ideas on what to do and phoned Capital Health Link. The nurse advised her to go to Health First Strathcona Primary Care Centre and, with her permission, sent a fax to the clinic with the particulars.

At the clinic, the nurse practitioner gave the baby an examination, took a throat swab, and prescribed an antibiotic. The nurse practitioner asked permission from Jenny to send a report to their pediatrician on the baby's visit to the clinic. Jenny picked up the medication from the local drugstore that is open until midnight and started her daughter on it.

A few days later, Jenny received a phone call from the nurse practitioner advising her of the lab results, encouraging her to finish the medication and to follow-up with her pediatrician if the baby did not continue to improve.

Scenario 3

On his way up the sidewalk to his house after work one day, Michael tripped and fell, injuring his arm. It wasn't until later that evening that he realised that the injury was more serious than he thought. He eventually needed to take two painkillers for his sore arm and started to panic a bit when he could no longer move it.

At 9:00, at his wife's urging, Michael phoned Capital Health Link to see if he should go to an emergency department and was advised that he could get care at Health First Strathcona County Primary Care Centre.

When Michael arrived, the nurse practitioner ordered an x-ray from next door. The physician reviewed the x-ray and decided Michael's arm needed to be put into a cast. An orthopedic technician put on the cast and told Michael how to care for it. Michael agreed to have a report on this visit sent to his family physician before he saw him for follow-up visit in two weeks' time.

Scenario 4

Mrs. Jones is on Home Care and is seen regularly by a nurse. When her daughter Betty visited Friday night, Mrs. Jones told her that she was ill with a fever and bad cough so Betty phoned Home Care. A nurse came to see Mrs. Jones and checked her out, then consulted with her family physician. They agreed that Mrs. Jones should be seen that evening at Health First Strathcona County Primary Care Centre. The Home Care nurse phoned the Clinic staff to provide a brief history on Mrs. Jones.

Upon arrival at the Clinic, the nurse practitioner examined Mrs. Jones, ordered a chest x-ray and consulted with the physician. Mrs. Jones was given some intravenous fluids and started on some new medication for her illness. She returned home later that night.

Reports were sent back to Mrs. Jones' physician and home care nurse who provided follow-up care over the next few days.