Life Threatening Chest Injuries in Trauma – The Killer Six

Life Threatening Chest Injuries in Trauma – The Killer Six

Trauma remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with chest injuries representing a significant portion of these cases. Whether resulting from motor vehicle accidents, falls, or penetrating trauma, injuries to the chest can lead to immediate compromise of vital...
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...