Trauma Overview

leading cause of death for ppl under 40

trauma

medical emergency occur from

illness/condition not caused by outside force

trauma results from

outside forces applied to body

index of suspicion

awareness and concern for potentially serious underlying and unseen injuries

traumatic injury occurs when

body’s tissues are exposed to energy levels beyond their tolerance

mechanism of injury

describes forces acting on the body that cause injury

three concepts of energy

1. potential: product of mass, force of gravity, and the weight. (falling objects)

2. kinetic: energy of a moving object

3. work: force acting over distance

newton’s first law

energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only converted. KE=m/2 x v²

nonsignificant injury

injury to isolated body part, trips

significant injury

injury to more than one body system (multisystem trauma)

includes: fall from heights, vehicle crashes, autoped, gunshot wounds, stabbings

blunt trauma

result of force to body that cause injury without penetrating soft tissues

penetrating trauma

cause injury by objects that pierce and penetrate the surface of the body

principal difference in vehicle collisions is

direction of force of impact

significant MOIs in a vehicle crash include:

1. death

2. deformity of vehicle

3. altered mental status

4. ejection from vehicle

seatbelts and airbags prevent

2nd collisions inside the vehicle during a frontal collision

results from the 2nd collision

extremities

results from the 3rd collision

internal organs

You are extricating a patient after they had a vehicle collision, but you noticed the airbag did not deploy. What should you suspect?

the airbag may deploy during extrication

what type of vehicle collision is known to cause whiplash-type injuries particularly in absence of a headrest?

rear-end crashes

the second collision involves

the occupants of the vehicle colliding with the interior, such as the dashboard or windshield

third collision occurs when

internal organs collide with each other or the bony structures of the body

What kind of vehicle are prone to rollover collisions?

large trucks and SUVs

most common life-threatening event in a rollover collision is

ejection or partial ejection of the passenger

What type of crash is similar to a rollover and provides opportunities for the vehicle to strike utility poles?

rotational crashes/spins

spinal stabilization must be initiated and maintained in a car vs. bicycle accident when

during the encounter

2nd leading cause of death in the U.S.

penetrating traums

area damaged in a gunshot wound is typically _____ than the diameter of the projectile

larger

most common military conflict

blast injuries

quaternary blast injuries

miscellaneous: hot gases, fires, toxic gases, crush injury from collapsed buildings

organs that contain ___ are most susceptible to pressure changes

air: middle ear, lungs, GI tract

pulmonary blast/pulmonary trauma result from

short range exposure to the detonation of explosives

disturbances in vision, altered LOC, and other neurological problems are a product of

arterial air embolisms

when patient has significant MOI and is in critical condition…

perform rapid scan

when patient has nonsignificant MOI and is not in critical condition…

focus on chief complaint

pneumothorax

When air collects in the space between the lungs and the chest wall (pleural space)

Hemothorax

a condition where blood accumulates in the pleural space, the area between the lung and chest wal

Level I trauma facility

Level II trauma facility

Level III trauma facility

Level IV trauma facility