Textbook of Acute Trauma Care

Book excerpt: This book provides a systemic approach to acute trauma care in line with the ABCDE paradigm and up-to-date information on assessing and managing major trauma from the pre-hospital to the rehabilitation phase. The book's early sections are dedicated to identifying and managing pathology caused by massive haemorrhage, airway, breathing, circulation or neurological trauma and examining the current evidence base relating to their management. The book then builds from fundamental skills to advanced interventions so that each level of responder can identify and implement aspects of clinical practice that will be of benefit to them at their stage. This approach also explains advanced interventions that may be executed subsequently, explaining how each phase of care sits together. This has a further benefit of producing seamless care for patients by practitioners of different levels using this book as a reference point. Later sections deal with specifics of in-hospital trauma care by speciality, including the explanation of decision making processes by specialities, use of diagnostic and interventional radiology, rehabilitation and psychological aspects of trauma care. The Textbook of Acute Trauma Care also focuses on non-clinical issues relevant to trauma such as training and logistics of retrieval and repatriation, aviation considerations in HEMS, legal and forensic evidence considerations and ethical issues dealing with trauma patients. In addition, the book contains chapters from international experts on cognitive and human factors relating to healthcare and suggests strategies for training and minimising errors. This book is an essential resource for all grades of practitioner, from first responders to Consultant/Attending Physician level providers.