Description

In Australia, penetrating truncal trauma is rare and the care of these patients involves a quite different mindset than we're used to. This is a cohort where our stay-and-play approach can do harm. James and David discuss the evidence relating to penetrating trauma and practical recommendations for your practice.

Further resources

Over view of major traumatic injury in Australia–Implications for trauma system design

The evil of good is better: Making the case for basic life support transport for penetrating trauma victims in an urban environment

Association of Police Transport With Survival Among Patients With Penetrating Trauma in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - PubMed (nih.gov) 

The effect of transport mode on mortality following isolated penetrating torso Trauma - PubMed

Every minute counts: The impact of pre-hospital response time and scene time on mortality of penetrating trauma patients

Get in touch

clinicalguidelines@ambulance.vic.gov.au

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David: @expensivecare

James: @JamesOz1