Spinal Injury

If your patient has a spinal injury fastidious documentation of neurology repeated over time is essential for making decisions about surgical intervention. Incomplete lesions (with sacral sparing) are much more likely to be stabilised. A rising sensory or motor level is strongly suggestive of a developing epidural haematoma- another strong indication for surgical decompression and fixation. 

Remember there is a big difference for a patient between being a T1 paraplegic and a C6 quadraplegic because C6-T1 means use of the hands. Small differences count. Click here to download the ASIA chart to help you document.

Grading of solid organ injury

Surgeons annoying you with their "Grade IV liver lac"/"Grade III spleen" talk? Here, at trauma.org, is a guide to the nomenclature of AAST organ injury grading. Or better still, click on a body part below!

ARV Trauma Education and Guidelines Project.

For guidelines and educational modules on interhospital transfer, prehospital triage, and lots more, click here.

Other Stuff

Be sure to check out the Orthopedic Resources and the Victorian Burns unit Guidelines.

Want to read something with an international perspective? Check out the fairly discursive EAST guidelines developed by the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma in the Eastern States of the USA or the flowchart style WEST Algorithms developed by their colleagues on the West Coast of the USA.

And don't forget the very first FOAM site, Trauma.org