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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Initial Assessment and Management in Trauma a short overview for doctors in general and intersted public.. Donate your blood and Do it Now


I have given some of the content in Red useful for general public and if you are not a doctor and do not want to know all these, at least go to the end of the blog and read the sentence in red and see if you can do it!




Initial Assessment and Management
Roadside
Think of the following scenarios in RTA as you may be a doctor or a general public nearby!

12 year old girl with headache and arm pain

65 year old grandfather with bilateral shoulder and arm pain

38 year old mother screaming in agony

45 year old father dead on arrival to a local hospital


A Middle aged man
History of RTA

Brought with
Pulse 90/mt
BP 140/90mm Hg
RR 25/mt


The sixteen year old
RTA in Vayalur Road
Rings his parents at 5 PM
Taken to few hospitals before
Brought to Kauvery
Not very alert

Initial management of Trauma is different

to what we learn in our Medical Schools where we are taught to take a detailed history, do examination and investigate and then come to a diagnosis before treating a patient


Why
Multiple casualties

Do not want to miss Important injuries

Do not want to miss important injury until it is too late

Do know how to be safe to yourself

It is OK to Call for Help


Standard Precautions
Cap
Gown
Gloves
Mask
Shoe covers
Goggles/face shields


The following is a synopsis of what you do in an emergency of trauma

The quick ten second assessment for anyone to follow on the roadside and at initial contact


I am "   " and

What is your name

Tell me what happened

If you get answers to the two questions, we can relax a bit as the airway is ok at present and not in severe shock or head injury

Airway and Cervical Spine





worry about the airway if
Patient is not talking

Noisy breathing

Secretions, FB, Loose tooth

The Chest is not moving


Get the airway sorted out first by
Establishing A Patent Airway 

or
Securing a Patent Airway
                                         
And How?




Establish a patent Airway by Clearing of Secretions and blood, ensure that theTongue not falling back by pulling the chin forward but do not bend the neck backwards, and the safer method would be to do jaw thrust

Use Airway Adjuncts
Give Oxygen
Adjuncts



B for
And the


Muscles and nerves to control


How to assess by looking for the
Symmetry of chest movement

Respiratory rate

Tracheal position

Percuss and auscultate


Manage B:what do you do
If chest is not moving at all?

If Chest is moving unequally?

If Hyperresonant or dull to percuss and no air entry to one side?


C for
Heart

Major Vessels

Organs: Brain, Heart, Kidney, skin


How to assess
Heart Rate
Blood Pressure
Skin: Colour, Sweating
Conscious level
Urine Output

Manage C
Restore Volume and Control Hemorrhage

IV Access

Fluids

Blood







Put it all together
A-----------------------------With ----Cervical spine protection

B------------------------------

C------------------------------




Reassess

Be ware in Children, pregnant women and Elderly

Be ware of Pulse oximetry reading BP
D


Disability
D for
Neurological Evaluation

GCS
Pupils
Localizing Neurological Signs

Serially Assess for deterioration

E for  Exposure / Environment

Watch for Hypothermia


Get the history as below


A Allergies
M Medications
P Past Medical/Surgical History/Pregnancy
L Last meal
E Events/Environment related to injury


Detailed assessment
History

Complete head-to-toe examination

Tubes and Fingers in every orifice”

Complete Neuro exam

Special diagnostic tests

Reevaluation
Head To Toe Examination
Head
Neck
Chest
Abdomen and Pelvis and Perineum
Extremities
Spine and Neurological examination


Communicate with patient and others
Pain management
Maintain Records
Before transfer
To X ray
To CT scan
To theatre
To ICU/Ward

Summary
Quick Assessment and primary survey, use adjuncts

Treat to correct the problem as you find

Complete detailed assessment


Hope you found the above synopsis useful

Remember there are two life saving drugs in trauma, one is oxygen and the other is blood and both are available or should be made available widely. Oxygen is outside 

but

Donate your blood and Do it today

Thank You

Warm Regards, Chockalingam