Multi-trauma

Overview

Pre-hospital assessment and management of the trauma patient has different challenges when compared to the in-hospital environment. In addition to team composition, the environment and equipment available in addition to the platform in which the patient will then be moved to hospital will impact on management considerations.

With major chest trauma, the ability to perform the assessment and management of a tension pneumothorax becomes challenging in an aircraft due to space, noise, and access to the patient. Therefore, these procedures are often performed prior to leaving the primary scene if concern for deterioration during transfer exists (Hannon et al., 2020).

Chest decompression using finger thoracostomy is preferred to needle decompression due to high failure rate when a catheter is used (Kaserer et al., 2017).

Description

This resource kit provides pre-hospital clinicians with the skills to assess and manage a patient with blunt chest and extremity injury following trauma.

Learning objectives

• understand the importance of pre-hospital limb reduction and splinting
• demonstrate understanding of the priorities in managing blunt chest trauma in the awake patient
• consider the impact of flight physiology on the trauma patient

Downloads

Further reading