Trauma Flashcards
What is done when a patient first gets to the ED?
Triage
What is the point of triaging a patient?
To rapidly determine the acuity of the patient and to recognize any life threatening conditions and to prioritize which patients are seen first
How do you prioritize which patients are seen first?
It is based on how severe the patient is and if they have a threat to their life, they are treated first
When does triage begin?
Begins with the first interaction with the patient
When a life treatening illness or injury is recognized during triage what should be done?
Early intervention and mobilizing resources
Who preforms triage?
RN
What is ESI?
Emergency severity index - determines how severe a patient is
What is ESI 1? What are some examples?
Requires immediate life saving interventions
Uncontrolled hemorrhage, airway compromise, respiratory arrest/distress
What is ESI 2? What are some examples?
High risk/decreased LOC/severe pain
High risk: suicidal, sexual assault victims, physically aggressive
Decreased LOC: confused, lethargic, disoriented
If the patient does not fall into ESI 1 or ESI 2, how is their severity decided?
By how many resources they need
What is ESI 3?
More than 2 resources
Most common patients in the ED
What is ESI 4?
One resource
What is ESI 5?
No resources
What happens if VS are out of range in triage?
The triage nurse should consider increasing the patient to ESI 2, but it is ultimately up to the nurse
How is triage designations made?
Using severity of illness or injury and resource ultilization.
Patients coming to ED are assessed and given a score by the triage nurse
What are resources?
- Labs - blood or urine
- Imaging. - ECG, Xray, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, angiography
- IV fluids - hydration
- IV, IM, or nebulized medications
- Speciality consultation
- Simple procedure - lac repair with stitches, Foley catheter = 1
- Complex procedure - conscious sedation = 2
What are not considered resources?
- History and physical
- Point of care testing
- IV start that are he-locked or saline locked
- PO medications
- Tetanus immunizations
- Prescription refills
- Phone calls to PCP
- Simple wound care like dressings, recheck, crutches, splints, slings
What is assessed in an emergency assessment?
Life threatening conditions using a primary survey and then preforming a focused assessment based on the patient chief compliant
How do you preform an emergency assessment on a trauma patient?
Assessed more systemically using a primary and secondary survey
Allows caregivers to address any life threatening and any concurrent injuries
What is the goal of a primary survey?
Identify and treat life threatening conditions
When can life threatening condition be identifies during a primary survey? What do you do?
Can be identified at any time
When identified stop and initiate intervention regardless of where you are in the assessment
What does primary survey consist of?
Airway, breathing, circulation, disability, expose and environmental control, full set of vital signs, family presence, get resuscitative adjunct
Do they ABCs need to be reprioritized during the primary survey?
Yes, they might need to be.
The new order is ABC
= catastrophic/uncontrolled hemorrhage that will need to be resolved first
What is AVPU? When is it preformed? What is it used for?
Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive
Assess when trauma patient arrives to the ED
To assess whether patient can control their own airway and will help caregivers choose the most appropriate airway adjunct
What kind of airway support is an unresponsive patient most likely going to need?
Endotracheal intubation using rapid sequencing which is sedation and paralytic to prevent possible aspiration and airway trauma
When a patient is alert..
They respond normally
When a patient is alert to verbal..
They respond to verbal stimulation
When a patient is alert to pain..
They respond to painful stimuli like a sternal rub
When a patient is unresponsive..
They do not respond to anything including verbal or pain
How do you progress for airway management?
Least to most invasive
How should you open the airway of a trauma patient? What are the concerns?
- Open the airway using jaw maneuver and removes any possible obstructions
- Stabilize the cervical spine during airway management - always assume that a patient with an injury to their neck, head or upper torso has cervical spine injury so maintain spine stabilization throughout the whole assessment
What are injuries that cause a deficit to respiratory status?
- Rib fracture
- Pneumothorax
- Penetrating injury
What are interventions for respiratory status deficits?
- Endotracheal intubation
- Chest tube
- Needle thoracotomy
What should you include in your breathing assessment of a trauma patient?
Rate, depth, symmetry and effort
What kind of oxygen supplementation should be given to your trauma patient?
100% oxygen via a non-rebreather d/t increased metabolic demand
How do you assess for s/s of hemorrhagic shock?
- Check the quality and rate of a central pulse like the carotid
- Weak thready pulse –> sign of shock and bleeding
How do you assess for perfusion deficits?
Assess the skin temperature, color, moisture and capillary refill
Prolonger capillary refill –> s/s of shock
How many IV does a trauma patient need? What kind of IV?
2 large bore IV
Large bore: 14-16 gauge
Trauma often requires ______ for lost blood volume
Blood products
Often requires a massive transfusion
Need good IV access to deliver large volume of blood over a short period of time
Uncrossmatched blood is given in emergency situations when there is not enough time for blood typing
What is uncross matched blood?
Type O negative
How do you assess diaability in a trauma patient?
- Assess LOC using the Glasgow coma scale
2. Assess pupils such as size, shape, equality and reactivity
What does the GCS tell you?
Insight for possible head injury
What GCS rating should you consider intubating?
Below 8 because they likely can’t control their own airway
GCS: eye opening response
- Spontaneously
- To speech
- To pain
- No response
GCS: verbal response (orientation)
- Oriented to time, person and place
- Confused
- Inappropriate words
- Incomprehensible sounds
- No response
GCS: motor response
- Obeys commands
- Moves to localized pain
- Flex to withdraw pain
- Abnormal flexion
- Abnormal extension
- No response