trauma

In need of a quick refresher on the management of penetrating injuries? Read on as we provide helpful tips while reviewing the basics.

Thromboelastography is a mechanism of assessing coagulation based upon the viscoelastic properties of whole blood, and when compared to other coagulation assessments, this test allows for an assessment of near real-time, in-vivo clotting capacity. The point-of-care assay, which uses graphic interpretation of thromboelastography (the TEG), offers the opportunity for an expedited assessment of coagulopathies (thrombocytopenia, factor deficiency, heparin effect, hypofibrinogenemia, and hyperfibrinolysis). How can you use this modality in the ED? This post is full of pearls on interpreting TEG.

Motorcycle accidents can be deadly. Riders are at high risk of injury due to the dangers of riding a motorcycle, which are vastly different from other vehicles. This post is full of pearls and pitfalls on motorcycle crashes and how to care for these patients.

The burn patient: a review of the ins and outs of ED management.

A hemothorax most commonly occurs secondary to penetrating or blunt chest wall trauma, with up to 70-80% of hemothoraces due to motor vehicle collisions. These injuries can cause rapid decompensation, but diagnosis and management isn’t always easy. This post is filled with pearls and pitfalls in diagnosis and management of massive hemothorax.

The patient with GSW can present in a variety of states ranging from hemodynamic stability to loss of pulses. Several literature updates have evaluated specific components of the care of these patients including airway, breathing, hemorrhage control, thoracotomy, and REBOA. This post evaluates the updated literature and provides pearls and pitfalls in the care of these potentially sick patients.

A cesarean section preformed either during maternal cardiac arrest or during impending maternal cardiac arrest the primary goal of which is to increase the chance of successfully resuscitating the mother and, potentially, improving fetal survival.

The elderly trauma patient: what should we be looking for and how can we improve? Read on for important pearls and pitfalls.

The patient with penetrating trauma can present with many different injuries. The majority of injuries are easily diagnosed. What about the patient with pneumothorax, diaphragmatic injury, ureteral injury, and hollow viscus injury? These are not so easy to diagnose, and delay in management can cause significant morbidity and mortality. This post provides pearls and pitfalls for these conditions.

Trauma patients require systematic resuscitation and definitive treatment. However, there are sometimes underlying reasons for the injury, such as syncope prior to the injury or even an underlying infection that made him or her prone to injury. Not all trauma patients will be unstable from their injury and they may have underlying comorbidities that need to be uncovered and treated. This article reviews some basic steps that can be taken to evaluate for underlying infection in trauma patients.