Abstract

Continuity of medical care was once relatively simple and mattered less when therapies were not so specific and incisive. Today a patient on prolonged therapy could be exposed to a considerable number of potentially dangerous interactions should any physician, surgeon or anaesthetist alter the treatment when ignorant of the previous therapy. This is a particular hazard during holidays, dental treatment and accident surgery. The differential diagnosis of an unconscious patient in the hospital accident department is made more difficult by a lack of knowledge about his previous history and therapy. In the absence of authentic information mistakes are difficult to avoid.