Trauma Flashcards
What is the definition of Trauma?
- Injury to the tissue or organs as a result of energy transferred from the environment.
What is the protocol of trauma for paramedics?
- MIST
What does MIST stand for?
M- Mechanism of Injury
I- Injury received
S- Signs & symptoms
T- Transport
What is the definition of Mechanism of Injury?
- Source of energy that is transferred to the patient
Why must we know the Mechanism of Injury?
- In order to anticipate the extent and pattern of the injury.
What are the causes of trauma?
- Vehicle accidents
- Pedestrian Injury
- Gunshot wounds
- Falls
- Burns
- Violence
What are the energy sources that could be transferred?
- Mechanical energy
- Gravitational energy
- Thermal energy
- Chemical energy
- Electrical energy
- Physical energy
What are the 2 major types of injury?
- Blunt injury:
- Road trauma
- Falls
- MOI
- Safety devices: Seatbelts/Steering wheel - Penetrating injury:
- Gunshot wounds/ Stab wounds
- Increase incidences with availability of knives/guns
- Type of weapon
- Direction of weapon force
- Distance from assailant
What is the aim of major trauma services?
- Minimise time to the definitive care
- Early transportation of severely injured patient to hospital that provides the most adequate care will increase chances of patient survival
What are the Major Trauma Criteria’s? (1)
1. Haemodynamic instability Adults RR: less 10 or more 30 Cyanosis: Present Hypotensive: Less 90mmHg GCS: less 13
Children RR: less 15 or more 40 Cyanosis: present Hypotensive (less 75mmHg + age) GCS: less 15
What are the Major Trauma Criteria’s? (2)
- ALL penetrating wounds:
- Head
- Neck
- Chest
- Abdomen
- Axilla
- Groin
What are the Major Trauma Criteria’s? (3)
- Blunt injuries
What are the Major Trauma Criteria? (4)
- Specific Injuries:
- Limb amputations/limb threatening
- Suspected spinal injures
- Burns >20% to body or resp. tract
- Major crush injuries
- Major compound # 2 or more: femur, tibia, humorous, pelvis
What is expected of trauma hospitals?
- All hospital receiving trauma must have a trauma team.
2. Trauma teams are specialised staff
Who are the staff that are included in trauma team?
- Trauma team leaders
- Airway doctor/nurse
- Circulation doctor/nurse
- Scrub nurse
- Orthopaedic registra
- Orderly/porter
- Radiography
- Social worker
Area’s to consider notifying for collaborative care
- Radiology
- Theatre
- Intensive care
- Pathology
The Australasian Triage Scale
- Resuscitative: immediate
- Emergency: less then 10mins
- Urgent: less than 30mins
- Semi- urgent: less then 60mins
- Non- urgent: less then 120mins
What are the aims of management with trauma?
- Assessment/ Resuscitation
- Stabilisation
- Diagnosis
- Maintenance of oxygenation & circulatory volume