Airway Management in Trauma
Airway management in the trauma patient presents numerous unique challenges beyond placement of an endotracheal tube and outcomes are dependent on the provider’s ability to anticipate difficulty. Airway management strategies…
The Kids Are Alright
Pediatric patients with trauma pose unique challenges, both practical and cognitive, to front-line care providers. The combination of anatomic, physiologic, and metabolic factors leads to unique injury patterns with different…
The Tragically Hip
Old age is a risk factor for poor outcome in trauma patients, as a result of undertriage and the presence of occult life-threatening injuries. The mechanisms of injury for geriatric…
Major Trauma Outside a Trauma Center
Care of the critically injured begins well before the patient arrives at a large academic trauma center. It is important to understand the continuum of care from the point of…
Management of Major Vascular Injuries
Vascular injuries represent a significant burden of mortality and disability. Blunt injuries to the neck vessels can present with signs of stroke either immediately or in a delayed fashion. Most…
Acute Management of the Traumatically Injured Pelvis
Severe pelvic trauma is a challenging condition. The pelvis can create multifocal hemorrhage that is not easily compressible nor managed by traditional surgical methods such as tying off a blood…
Critical Decisions in the Management of Thoracic Trauma
Traumatic injuries to the thorax are common after both blunt and penetrating trauma. Emergency medicine physicians must be able to manage the initial resuscitation and diagnostic workup of these patients….
Major Abdominal Trauma
A standardized approach should be used with a patient with abdominal trauma, including primary and secondary surveys, followed by additional diagnostic testing as indicated. Specific factors can make the diagnosis…
Secondary Gains
Neurotrauma is a leading cause of death and is associated with many secondary injuries. A balance of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) is required to ensure adequate…