Title: Trauma Assessment; Initial Trauma Assessment. Information | Patient
Headings: Trauma Assessment
Trauma Assessment
This article is for Medical Professionals
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Aims of the initial evaluation of trauma patients
Preparation and co-ordination of care
The pre-hospital phase
The hospital phase
Triage and organisation of care
Initial assessment
Resuscitation and primary survey
Additional considerations to primary survey and resuscitation
Secondary survey
History
Additional considerations to secondary survey
Definitive care
Records and legal considerations
Practice tips
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Content: It starts at the scene (see above) and continues at the receiving hospital. Priority is given to patients most likely to deteriorate clinically and triage takes account of vital signs, pre-hospital clinical course, mechanism of injury, age and other medical conditions. In trauma centres, teamwork should ensure critically injured patients are evaluated as diagnostic procedures are performed simultaneously, thus reducing the time to treatment. A team approach is demanding of personnel and resources and, in smaller institutions, non-hospital settings or with mass casualties, available personnel and resources can rapidly be overwhelmed: Triage: is done according to the 'ABCDE' principles ( A irway maintenance with cervical spine protection, B reathing and ventilation, C irculation with haemorrhage control, D isability: neurological status, E xposure/environmental control). Selection of hospital: is according to available services, so that trauma patients should be taken to trauma centres. Multiple casualties: