Category: EMT
- Assessment & Management Of Abdominal Trauma ()
Initial management of the patient is always guided by the primary survey. Once the patient’s needs for resuscitation have been addressed, the medics need to assess the abdomen. The medics may choose to look for injuries by performing the rapid trauma assessment. The rapid trauma assessment is performed anytime there is a significant mechanism of […]
- Abdominal Injuries ()
Closed Injuries Most abdominal injuries are the result of blunt force trauma. Trying to figure out what organs were injured or bleeding can be challenging, however, the location of pain, tenderness, or discoloration (bruising) can provide clues as to the exact nature of the patient’s injuries. Aside from making an educated guess based on the […]
- Anatomy Of The Abdomen & Pelvis ()
The definition of the human abdomen is the anterior region of the trunk between the thoracic diaphragm superiorly and the pelvic brim inferiorly. Understanding the anatomy of the abdomen will ultimately serve as one’s cornerstone to understanding, diagnosing, and treating the pathology within. Structure and Function The abdomen ultimately serves as a cavity to house vital organs of the digestive, […]
- Abdominal Pain Location Vs Illness/Injury ()
Abdominal signs and symptoms can be from a wide variety of disease processes to include vascular, infectious, trauma, autoimmune, musculoskeletal, idiopathic, neoplastic, congenital, etc. The details below are not meant to serve as an exhaustive list; however, it should serve as a guide for commonly encountered pathology within their respective quadrants and can help guide […]
- Peritoneal & Retroperitoneal Structures ()
The peritoneum is the serous membrane that lines the abdominal cavity. It is composed of mesothelial cells that are supported by a thin layer of fibrous tissue and is embryologically derived from the mesoderm. The peritoneum serves to support the organs of the abdomen and acts as a conduit for the passage of nerves, blood vessels, and lymphatics. […]
- Assessment Of Chest Injuries ()
Collect Dots With The Rapid Trauma Assessment and Secondary Survey The rapid trauma assessment is performed anytime there is a significant mechanism of injury or the patient is unresponsive and the medics are unable to pinpoint the cause of the unresponsiveness. The rapid trauma assessment is intended to be performed while the patient is still […]
- Blunt Force Trauma To The Lungs & Heart ()
Paper Bag Syndrome The easiest way to understand what blunt force trauma can do the lungs is paper bag syndrome. A patient is driving and suddenly is involved in a head-on collision. The patient braces for impact by tensing up muscles and breath holding. The impact of the patient’s chest with the steering wheel applies […]
- Chest Wall Related Injuries ()
Trauma is the third leading cause of death in all age groups after cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Although trauma-related injuries can occur in many parts of body, one out of four trauma patients die due to thoracic injury or its complications. Chest trauma remains a serious problem as high-speed vehicle accidents increase. Thoracic trauma occurs […]
- How People Die: Chest Trauma ()
Impaired Cardiac Output As a general rule, chest trauma of any sort increases the pressure in the thoracic cavity. This is evident by the typical finding of jugular vein distention. The jugular veins empty into the vena cava, but when the pressure in the chest is higher than normal it applies pressure to the vena […]
- Chest Trauma ()
Introduction Thoracic trauma accounts for up to 35% of trauma-related deaths in the United States and encompasses a broad range of injuries that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. Prompt evaluation during the primary trauma survey is key to identifying those injuries that are immediately life-threatening and require rapid intervention. Thoracic trauma is broadly categorized by mechanism into blunt or […]