Vertebral Trauma Paper

This assignment will present a reflective analysis of the examination, diagnosis, treatment and referral plan based on a simulated patient presenting with a minor injury. Potential diagnoses related to the mechanism of injury will discussed aligning the patient presentation with the literature to produce the most likely diagnosis. When this is established, a suggested treatment plan will be created in line with current guidance.

It is important to note that there are currently no invasive procedures that Paramedics are trained to do in the field to reduce ICP and early recognition and prompt transport to the nearest hospital with neurological capabilities is the definitive treatment for this type of injury. In our case study, the treating medics were limited in their options for treatment, mostly due to the inability to secure the airway due to the patient locking down his jaw. However they were able to suction some of the fluid and maintain an open airway through manual manipulation and cervical spinal

In June of 2012 over 2,000 retired NFL players filed a lawsuit against the NFL on the terms of blurring the science of brain trauma (Foster). The retired athletes sued the association due to complications they began to suffer from repetitive head on head collisions in their practices and games that led to brain trauma. In response to the lawsuit, the NFL manipulated its rules but athletes are still at a risk of severe TBIs, or traumatic brain injuries, every time they step on the field. The NFL needs to enforce stricter fouls for head-on-head collisions, more preventative equipment, improved coaching techniques for tackles, and educational head-injury courses in order to decrease the amount of brain trauma and fatalities in the players.

American College of Surgeons National Trauma Data Bank 2013 Annual Report. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.facs.org/~/media/files/quality%20programs/trauma/ntdb/ntdb%20annual%20report%202013.ashx

Have you ever thought of how the civil war surgeons handled the horrific injuries the soldiers had in the civil war? It is pretty brutal how they dealt with them. The Civil war lasted about 4 years from April 1861- June 1865 in . During the civil war there were many different types of injuries that most doctors didn't know what to do besides amputate the part of the body that is injured. The most challenging thing doctors had to deal with was disease. Approximately 405,000 soldiers died from disease in the civil war. The bullets that were used during the war were called minne balls which were heavy pieces of lead that when punctured in the skin shattered the bone and everything it hit. Which made it hard for doctors during this time to treat the wound correctly. Also due to the knowledge and high technology they had back then. In that time injuries that serious would 8 out of 10 times end in amputation.

TRAUMA By C.I. Lopez "Page the trauma surgeon." I said to Susan, “and call the supervisor, to let her know we're probably getting multiple burn victims, please." As the head trauma nurse in charge of the Emergency Room, at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, I was used to nights like this, especially when the rain was blinding at rush hour, and people were rushing to get home from work on a Friday night. For ten years I had worked the trauma unit, and I had seen it all.

Her physical exam was notable for a blood pressure of 105/56 mmHg, pulse of 87 beats/min, temperature of 37.7 C, respiratory rate of 20/min, and oxygen saturation of 100% on the ventilator. Her secondary survey revealed unequal pupils with discordant reactivity. Her right pupil was 8 mm and non-reactive to light and her left pupil was 3 mm and reactive to light. Ominously, she was noted to have decerebrate posturing (indicating severe brain damage) of both the upper and lower extremities bilaterally. On further examination, a five cm laceration to the right lower anterior thigh was identified and repaired. Her Focused Assessment Sonogram for Trauma (FAST) exam was negative.

Surgeon's during the Civil War managed to treat more than 10 million cases of injury of illness in just 48 months. An estimated 400,000 men lost their lives just from diseases. As soldiers fell in unknown numbers from both injuries and disease, anesthesia became a specialty. The fields of plastic and reconstructive surgery exploded. Doctors began to develop new ways to treat a surge in nerve injuries and chronic pain, marking the beginning of contemporary

Trauma is a serious issue that more than 25 percent of children in America experience by the age of 16 (Pynoos & Fairbank, 2003, as cited in Williams & Lent, 2008). Trauma may can involve: household violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, terrorisms, natural disasters, and loss of a loved one through death, divorce or abandonment (Van Westrhenen & Fritz, 2014; Williams & Lent, 2008). Dripchak defines trauma as a sudden extraordinary event that overpowers an individual’s ability to cope and manage their reaction to the event (2007, Williams & Lent, 2008). An individual’s response to trauma is subjective and multidimensional. With several factors influencing how individuals respond to trauma.

In order to properly diagnose this type of injury, Dr. Erik Nilssen and his medical staff take several things into consideration, including the patient’s:

For a paramedic to be competent on traumatic incident, it is helpful to have knowledge of the anatomy of the affected area of injury. Prompt management and transportation to the correct Hospital treatment is key for appropriate patient care. Anatomy of the head and spine will aid in patient care when a traumatic event has injured these areas. Understanding the importance of traumatic injury to the chest and creating a good picture of what the problem may be from just signs and symptoms. These two types of traumas are very serious and could lead to long term problems for the patient and can even be life threatening.

Vast Majority Of Chest Injuries are still within the capabilities of general surgeons, four year experience in Royal medical services.

The location of injury should be specifically documented using anatomical landmarks such as, midline of the body, the suprasternal notch, the centerline of a limb, and the top of the head.

According to Vickery (2001) however, the spinal board is considered to be the gold standard for spinal immobilisation during the pre-hospital phase of trauma management. For some patients, effective spinal immobilisation is beneficial and can also be vital in preventing the devastating effects of cord damage however it has been suggested that for many the excessive use of this preventative measure may not be prudent or necessary. It has been estimated that over 50% of trauma patients with no complaint of neck or back pain were transported with full spinal immobilisation (McHugh & Taylor 1998). Inappropriate spinal immobilisation may lead to patients experiencing unnecessary pain, skin ulceration, aspiration and respiratory compromise, which in turn may lead to further unnecessary procedures, a longer hospital stay which then incurs increasing costs to the National Health Service (Kwan, Bunn & Roberts, 2001). Shooman & Rushambuza (2009) report that immobilisation is a crucial part of the management of a trauma patient. They believe that if the mechanism of injury is uncertain, the patient should remain immobilised until further imaging even if there are no symptoms of spinal instability after log rolling. However, in a recent study by Pandie, Shepherd & Lamont (2010) they concluded that on its own, standard

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