Title: Primary secondary and tertiary survey | Deranged Physiology
Headings: Primary secondary and tertiary survey
Definitions
Primary survey
Airway
Breathing
Circulation
Disability
Exposure
The value of the digital rectal exam
Adjuncts to the primary survey:
Bloods:
Imaging
Monitoring
Secondary survey
Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture
Tertiary survey
References

Content: Question 8 from the first paper of 2009 (diaphragmatic rupture; value of the PR in trauma)
Question 12 from the second paper of 2005 (primary survey; a repeat)
Question 13 from the second paper of 2005 (secondary survey; a repeat)
Question 2a from the first paper of 2003 (primary survey)
Question 2b from the first paper of 2003 (secondary survey)
Question 1a from the first paper of 2002 (primary survey)
Question 1b from the first paper of 2002 (secondary survey)
It is hard to recommend any specific publication to help write these answers. The best strategy would be to borrow somebody's ATLS manual (ideally, the recent edition). Definitions
Primary survey: identify and treat life-threatening injuries
Secondary survey: head to toe examination, brief focused history, exclusion of major injuries
Tertiary survey: a patient evaluation that identifies and catalogues all injuries after the initial resuscitation and operative intervention ( Grossman et al, 2000)
Primary survey
if unable to resolve a problem don’t not leave issue until resolved. at any point if there is deterioration start at airway again.