A 25-Year-Old Woman with a Neck Injury

A 25-Year-Old Woman with a Neck Injury

A 25-year-old female patient is being assessed for a possible cervical spine injury following blunt trauma. Her C-spine X-ray series is inadequate and a decision is made to organise a CT scan of her cervical spine. Under what circumstances should CT scanning be used...
What’s New in Trauma? (ATLS 10th Edition Updates)

What’s New in Trauma? (ATLS 10th Edition Updates)

The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) program was introduced in the 1980s to address the need for higher-quality trauma care, particularly in the “first hour” after injury, following an incident in which an orthopaedic surgeon crashed his plane in a rural setting....
The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 2 – The Secondary Survey

The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 2 – The Secondary Survey

In The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 1 we looked at the primary survey as advocated by the ATLS program and the ‘ABDCE’ approach to the initial assessment of the patient. Once the primary survey has been completed, resuscitative efforts are underway, and the...
The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 1 – The Primary Survey

The Initial Trauma Assessment Part 1 – The Primary Survey

The initial assessment and management of the seriously injured trauma patient is both challenging and anxiety-inducing for many clinicians. It is an undertaking that requires a cool head, systematic approach, speed, and good clinical judgement. The Advanced Trauma...
Severe Chest Pain Following Blunt Thoracic Trauma

Severe Chest Pain Following Blunt Thoracic Trauma

A 37-year-old man is involved in a high-speed motor vehicle collision. He was not wearing a seat belt and struck his chest on the steering wheel. He has presented complaining of severe central chest pain and breathlessness. You are the trauma call team leader. His...