Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for patients between the ages of five and 44 and accounts for 10% of all deaths worldwide. Among this 10%, 30-40% of these deaths can be contributed to uncontrolled bleeding that has the potential to be corrected in the pre-trauma center environment (Spahn et al., 2010). Various methods have been studied throughout the past 10 years to improve the outcomes of patients who suffer from massive trauma. A problem currently facing the nursing transport community is the availability of diagnostic tools and products to give the patients who present with symptoms of massive hemorrhage.
Due to the nature of health care systems, many specialties such as trauma facilities and specialized surgeons are located in large urban areas. This creates an access problem for individuals who suffer injuries in suburban and rural areas resulting in higher morbidity rates for patients further from definitive care. Recently, studies have begun to focus on alternative methods to prevent exsanguination in patients who suffer traumatic injuries where surgical intervention is beyond a practical distance for a patient to experience a positive outcome. All of the studies stated that early intervention to reduce the rate of blood loss and rapid intervention are imperative to improving outcomes.
Blood products such as packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets are already commonly used in trauma patients that require volume replacement and have coagulopathy. However, the availability of these products at rural facilities and even in some urban areas can be limited considering synthetic forms of blood products are not currently being used. This leaves the supply of blood at the discretion of ...
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Morrison, J. J., Dubose, J. J., Rasmussen, T. E., & Midwinter, M. J. (2011, October 17). Military application of tranexamic acid in trauma emergency resuscitation (MATTERs) study. Arch Surg, E1-E6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.2011.287
Spahn, D. R., Cerny, V., Coats, T. J., Duranteau, J., Gordini, G., & Stahel, P. F. (2010, April 6). Managment of bleeding following major trauma: An updated European guideline. Critical Care, 14(2). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/cc8943
The CRASH-2 collaborators. (2011). The importance of early treatment with tranexamic acid in bleeding trauma patients: An exploratory analysis of CRASH-2 randomized controlled trial. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60396-6
What happens to dontated blood? (2014). Retrieved from http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/what-happens-donated-blood
The current patient may be experiencing a range of traumatic injuries after his accident, the injuries that the paramedic will focus on are those that are most life threatening. These injuries include: a possible tension pneumothroax or a haemothorax, hypovolemic shock, a mild or stable pelvic fracture and tibia fibula fracture.
“There is no time to think. There is only time to do or let die!” Professor Mark M. Ravitch: “If you cannot figure out a patient's problems, maybe someone else can!”and Raphael Adar “When you encounter massive bleeding, the first thing to remember is that it is not your blood!”
Schmidt, M. S. (2014, January 19). Reviving a Life Saver, the Tourniquet. The New York Times [New York], p. D3.
With the increase in the different methods of determining if a patient is on the brink of PPH, reducing the mortality rate should be much easier than ever before. Current methods such as QBL and EBL are being utilized to determine if a patient is hemorrhaging. Multiple factors should be taken into account such as the volume of blood loss, patient’s vital signs, and general appearance should guide the interventions in recognizing and managing PPH. Interventions include the use of uterotonics, blood transfusions, and crystalloid infusions. Additionally, tranexamic acid can be administered prophylactically. Early recognition and management increase the chances of survival of the subject (Glymph,
Blood transfusions have become a common part of medical care with nearly 5 million Americans a year receiving a transfusion. Blood transfusions are used in the treatment of many different conditions, from replacing blood lost in surgeries or injuries to fighting diseases like liver disease, anemia, and bleeding disorders like hemophilia (Nglbi.nih.gov, 2014). Blood collection and transfusion are overseen by many different agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through these agencies work in donor screening and surveillance, blood transfusions usually cause no adverse reactions in the recipient and are considered a safe medical procedure. Despite this, blood safety remains an important public health matter both due to the seriousness of some adverse reactions when they do occur and the need for preparedness in reacting to future blood safety issues that can suddenly arise when new bloodborne diseases emerge. It is for these reasons that Healthy People 2020 has made reducing the proportion of averse reactions from the medical use of blood and blood products one of their objectives.
Emergency and Trauma nursing is a field in nursing that deals with traumatic events that need immediate attention of the health care professionals. Nurses are the first to be exposed to the trauma and have to act as quickly as possible to save the patient’s life. These traumatic events also pose a threat to the nurse’s mental, physical and emotional well-being. There are still gap in the existing knowledge of this research.
Taft, C. T., Street, A. E., Marshall, A. D., Dowdall, D. J., & Riggs, D. S. (2007). Posttraumatic
The imaging modality is determined by the condition of the patient and the specific type of injury that is most appropriate (e.g., plain-film radiography vs computed tomography (CT) scan. In order to precede the imaging procedure, the clinical capabilities to support, monitor, and treat the trauma patient as well as the availability
Before WWI, the practice of medicine was far from how it has developed into today. The practice was not advanced, and therefore, had few concrete methods. However, with the beginning of the First World War, there was a great push to improve these methods. Although the war caused much illness and death, it also catalyzed many improvements such as blood transfusions, x-rays, vaccines, and sanitation.
Atkinson, R. P.; & DeLemos, C. (2000). Acute Ischemic Stroke Management. Thrombosis Research. 98:3; 97-111.
The data from World Health Organization (WHO) on the leading causes of death worldwide and the global burden of diseases shows that, traumatic injuries are the major cause of mortality, morbidity and disability among children (0 – 14 years) - being responsible for more deaths than the combination of other diseases1. It is against this backdrop that pre-hospital care during emergencies becomes very important in the management of the injured children as it is for adults. In most circumstances, earliest responder who could be a medical doctor, paramedic, or even layman are the first to provide the much needed life saving (basic or advance), vital medical care all with the aim of optimizing the victim’s physiological status prior to arriving nearest medical facility2, 3. Indeed, several evidences suggested that these first life-saving supports have effect on the morbidity and mortality of the injured patient2-4. But, recent researches have also shown that interventions like invasive airway management, IV access and fluid administration are associated with higher rate of complication and failure among paediatric patients, while the few that turned out to be successful were provided by specially trained and experienced personnel3. This is due to the difference in size and overall anatomy of children compared with adult, thus many of these procedures turn out to be difficult or results in complication when performed...
Blood transfusions are potentially life-saving procedure that can help replace blood lost due to surgery or injury. Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood (Blood Facts 1). Blood has been used as a form of therapy for a variety of ailments dating back as far as the 17th century. There is no question that blood is an incredibly valuable resource. Over the years, there have been several significant advances made in not only the research of blood but also medicine. The history and research of blood transfusions has brought the discovery of blood types and the incompatibilities of said blood types.
Blood donation is a very essential procedure in the health system. The process entails collecting blood from willing donors, testing it and then separating it into its components so that it can be used on patients. Whereas hospitals are the main users of the donated blood, they are not exactly authorised to collect, test and separate it in their own premises. Most of the health institutions get the blood from larger bodies such as the Red Cross or other Community based blood groups. Though initially faced with lots of problems, blood transfusion has been used since 1667 as a solution to some of human illnesses. Since then to now, hospitals have grown so dependent on blood donation and transfusion to save human life. With it being used and applied
First Aid for bleeding begins by calming and reassureing the victim. Next lay the victim down to reduce the chance of fainting by increasing the blood flow to the brain. Elevate the bleeding area when possible. Clean and remove loose dirt away from the wound. If an object such as a knife, stick, or arrow becomes embedded in the body, do not remove it. Doing so may increase the amount of bleeding and cause more damage. Place gauze and bandages around the object and tape the object in place. Put pressure directly on an external wound with a sterile bandage, clean cloth, or even a piece of clothing. Direct pressure is best for external bleeding, except for an eye injury. Maintain pressure until the bleeding stops. Do not peek at the wound to see if the bleeding has stopped. If bleeding continues and soaks through the material being held on the wound, do not remove it. Simply place another cloth over the first one. Be sure to seek medical attention.
First aid trained personnel and the first aid kit are the best tool to prevent further damage to the injured and make sure they are on the recovery path swiftly without any problems.