Journal of trauma nursing : the official journal of the Society of Trauma Nurses
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Trauma continues to be the leading cause of death among those younger than 40 years. A major cause of death within the first 24 hours is hemorrhage. Many of these patients present with severe coagulopathy and require massive transfusion. ⋯ To address coagulopathy sooner, changes in the way we identify and resuscitate the exsanguinating trauma patient have evolved. These changes include early identification of at-risk patients and early, aggressive transfusion of plasma and platelets. This article reviews the key massive transfusion triggers and resuscitation strategy of damage control resuscitation.
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Rib fractures pose significant risk to trauma patients. Effective pain control and the ability to take deep breaths are crucial for optimal recovery, and these are key elements in current clinical guidelines. ⋯ This article provides trauma nurses with the rationale for documenting and tracking incentive spirometry volumes to improve outcomes for patients with rib fractures. This promotes early detection of respiratory decline and early interventions to improve pain control and pulmonary function.