Trauma Notes Study Guide 2022/2023

• Physical injury caused by external forces or violence is defined as trauma • Major healthcare and economic concern because of the loss of life, the societal burden in terms of lost productivity and increased disabili ...

• Physical injury caused by external forces or violence is defined as trauma • Major healthcare and economic concern because of the loss of life, the societal burden in terms of lost productivity and increased disability of injured persons, as well as the consumption of healthcare resources • Injury prevention is key to trauma care • A model trauma system provides an organized approach to trauma care • Includes components of prevention, rapid access, acute hospital care, rehabilitation, and research activities • Four levels of certification • GOAL: provide comprehensive processesto deliver optimal care through an established trauma system network that matches a patient’s medical needs to the level of trauma hospital with the resources necessary to provide the best possible care for the type and severity of traumatic injury • *Primary Prevention: Prevent the event: Driving safety classes, speed limits, campaigns to not drink and drive • *Secondary Prevention: Minimize the impact of the traumatic event: Seatbelt use, airbags, car seats, and helmets • *Tertiary Prevention examples: Maximize patient outcomes after a traumatic event: Emergency response system, medical care, and rehabilitation • Thisfirst hour of emergent care, the “golden hour,” focuses on rapid assessment, resuscitation, and treatment of life-threatening injuries • Within 1 st hour of trauma, not from when they get to you • Hypovolemic shock kills in trauma: STOP the bleeding • Triage means sorting the patients to determine which patients need specialized care for actual or potential injuries. • Triage decisions are often made by prehospital personnel based on knowledge of the mechanisms of injury and rapid assessment of the patient’s clinical status • The ultimate goal of any EMS system is to get the patient to the right level of hospital care in the shortest span of time to o........................................................................................Continued