What are the steps of a trauma assessment?

Technique

Table of Contents

Prehospital. The first step in trauma assessment begins prior to the patient’s arrival.
Primary Survey. Upon patient arrival, the room should be quiet, and EMS should briefly present the patient and their findings.
Airway.
Breathing.
Circulation.
Disability.
Exposure.
Secondary Survey.

What is considered trauma in EMS?

Trauma results from motor vehicle collisions, falls, burns, stabbing and gunshot wounds, or other blunt or penetrating forces.

What is included in a rapid trauma assessment?

To assess the patient’s ABCs you’ll do a visual inspection for major bleeding. You’ll also want to inspect the airway to ensure it is patent. Find the center, or distal pulse. Remember to look, listen, and feel for respirations.

How long should a rapid trauma assessment take?

Rapid Trauma Assessment is a quick method (usually 60 to 90 seconds), most commonly used by Emergency Medical Services (EMS), to identify hidden and obvious injuries in a trauma victim.

What does a trauma-informed assessment look like?

Trauma-Informed Mental Health Assessment refers to a process that includes a clinical interview, standardized measures, and/or behavioral observations designed to gather an in-depth understanding of the nature, timing, and severity of the traumatic events, the effects of those events, current trauma-related symptoms.

What are the most important things to notice when doing a rapid trauma assessment?

Generally, rapid trauma assessment is indicated if:

There was a significant mechanism of injury (for example, a high-speed car accident, falls >20 ft); OR.
The patient has an altered mental status; OR.
The medical responder suspects that the patient has multi-systems trauma.

How far of a fall is considered a trauma?

The American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT) defines a critical threshold for a fall height in adults as > 20 feet (6 meters), as part of the field triage decision scheme for transport to a designated trauma center [3].

What are the five general guidelines for the priorities of care for trauma patients?

As always, start with the ABCs.

Airway. The first part of the primary survey is always assessing the airway.
Breathing. Assess your patient’s breathing next.
Circulation. Once you’ve assessed and supported your patient’s breathing, attend to his circulatory status.
Disability.
Exposure.