Intro to Trauma Flashcards
What is major trauma?
Usually occurs with multiple injuries to the body or an isolated injury to a critical body area. It may be life threatening, for example, a pelvic and femoral fracture or a stab injury to the chest.
What is the mechanism of injury (MOI)?
The forces, weights and other factors involved in the events causing an injury. It is the mechanism that caused the injury to occur.
Why is it important to consider mechanism of injury?
It will inidicate what type of injuries you should look for in your patient. However you should treat the injuries you actually find in your patient.
What are some injuries that could result from unrestrained driving?
Skull Mandible/maxilla orbit Sternum Cervical spine Heart Liver/spleen Pelvis Femur Tib/fib
What are some injuries that could occur from a lateral impact in an MVA?
Head jerked laterally
Fractured clavicle
Flail chest
Fractured femur
What are some injuries that can result from ped v car?
Head
Patella
Tib/fib
What are the three types of collision in an MVA?
Vehicle collision
Body collision
Organ collision
What is body collision?
The driver collides with the inside of the car
What is organ collision?
The rapid deceleration results in massive energy transfer. This causes the internal organs to collide and rupture, leading to haemorrhage or lacerations.
In an MVA, when are injuries more likely to be severe?
The patient is ejected from the vehicle
Another occupant in the vehicle is dead
A pedestrian is hit at a speed greater than 30km/hr
A motorcycle or bicycle is hit by a large moving vehicle
There is significant intrusion into the passenger compartment
The extrication period for the patient is prolonged
What MOIs do we look at for a patient who has had a fall?
How far could the patient have fallen?
What surface could they have fallen on?
What part of the patients body could have hit the ground?
What object could the patient have hit during the fall?
What is a major incident?
Where the number of patients and the severity of their injuries exceed the capacity of the service and staff.
When should a patient have their cervical spine immobilised?
Tenderness at the posterior midline of the cervical spine
Focal neurological deficit
Decreased level of alertness
Evidence of intoxication
Clinically apparent pain that might distract the patient from the pain of cervical spine injury
What is major trauma?
Abnormal airway or breathing
Inability to obey commands from traumatic brain injury
Shock
Burns greater than 20%
What is LATER?
Load And Treat En Route
What is minor trauma?
An isolated injury. For example a broken toe or a simple wrist fracture
How many bones do we have?
Adults 206
Neonates 300
What are the eight major functions of bone?
Protection Structure Producing components of blood Storage of minerals Enabling movement Maintaining acid/base balance Removal of toxins Aiding hearing
What are long bones?
Usually longer in length than width.
Shaft with heads at both ends.
What are short bones?
Short and usually cube shaped. (e.g. patella)
What are flat bones?
Flat thin and generally curved. e.g. ribs, sternum and skull
What are irregular bones?
Bones that do not meet any of the other criteria e.g. irregular bones
What is a ligament?
Fibrous connective tissue that joins bone to bone.
What is a tendon?
Fibrous connective tissue that tethers muscle to bone.
What are cartilaginous joints?
Bone ends are connected to each to each other by cartilage. These allow limited movement. Such as vertebrae or the pubic symphysis in the pelvis
What are fibrous joints?
Ligaments connect the bones allowing little to no movement. Such as the skull.
What are synovial joints?
These have articulating bones ends and are separated by a joint containing synovial fluid. All limb joints are synovial.
What are the types of synovial joint?
Plane joint (such as intercarpal) Hinge joint (elbow) Pivot joint (Proximal between radius and ulna) Condyloid joint (Metacarpal joint) Saddle joint (Carpometacarpal of the thumb) Ball and socket joint (hip)
What ribs are true ribs?
Ribs 1-7
What ribs are false ribs?
Ribs 8-12
What ribs are floating ribs?
Ribs 11-12
What is the manubrium?
The bone at the top of the sternum.
What is the sternal angle?
Where the manubrium meets the sternum
What is the xiphoind process?
The process at the inferior aspect of the sternum
How many cervical vertebrae are there?
7
How many thoracic vertebrae are there?
12
How many lumbar vertebrae are there?
5
How many saccral vertebrae are there?
5 fused
How mean coxxyl vertebrae are there?
4 fused
What are the parts of the pelvis?
Iliac crest Ilium Sacrum Coccyx Pubic bone Ischium
What is the heel called?
The calcaneus
What are the major functions of the liver?
Storage of glycogen Increasing the bgl Breaking down the lipids in the blood Breaking down erythrocytes Detoxification of the blood Production of bile that breaks down fats in the intestines
What are the major functions of the spleen?
BReaking down old red blood cells
Storing red blood cells and releasing them when they are required
Fighting infections
