Injury
-
Knowledge of the epidemiology and the pattern of injury sustained following falls from heights may be crucial in formulating policy aimed at prevention and improved outcome of victims. This study aims to determine the epidemiology and the spectrum of injury sustained following falls from heights at a referral trauma centre in a developing country. ⋯ Falls from heights were common in Benin. Health awareness programmes and a proper government policy will reduce incidences and improve outcome.
-
Bovine-related injuries to farmers are common in rural communities. Many injuries are significant requiring hospital admission and surgery. We reviewed all cattle-related injuries admitted to a regional trauma centre over 10 years and detail the nature of the injuries. ⋯ Cow-related trauma is a common among farming communities and is a potentially serious mechanism of injury that appears to be under-reported in a hospital context. Bovine-related head-butt and trampling injuries should be considered akin to high-velocity trauma.
-
Patients presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) with abdominal trauma benefit from FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma). Not all doctor members of the trauma team are credentialed in FAST; therefore occasionally no one is available in the hospital to undertake a FAST. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of nurse-performed FAST as a practical alternative where suitably trained doctors are not available. ⋯ This study demonstrates that, in a convenience sample of injured patients, nurse-performed FAST achieved similar accuracy to previously published results of doctor-performed FAST. Future studies with greater patient numbers would be valuable.
-
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) arising from blast exposure during war is common, and frequently complicated by psychiatric morbidity. There is controversy as to whether mild TBI from blast is different from other causes of mild TBI. Anxiety and affective disorders such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression are common accompaniments of blast injury with a significant overlap in the diagnostic features of PTSD with post-concussive syndrome (PCS). ⋯ There is therefore a requirement for clear and careful documentation by health professionals of a TBI due to bomb blast shortly after the event so that the diagnosis of TBI can be made with confidence. There is a need for the early recognition of symptoms of PCS, PTSD and depression and early multi-disciplinary interventions focussed on expected return to duties. There also needs to be a continued emphasis on the de-stigmatization of psychological conditions in military personnel returning from deployment.
-
The aim of effective clinical handover is seamless transfer of information between care providers. Handover between paramedics and the trauma team provides challenges in ensuring that information loss does not occur. Handover is often time-pressured and paramedics' clinical notes are often delayed in reaching the trauma team. Documentation by trauma team members must be accurate. This study evaluated information loss and discordance as patients were transferred from the scene of an incident to the Trauma Centre. ⋯ By documenting where deficits in handover occur we can identify points of vulnerability and strategies to capture this information.