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Tips

Next Week: The Electronic Trauma Flow Sheet

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It’s been a while since I visited the topic of the electronic trauma flow sheet (eTFS) for trauma activations. A few years have passed, the software engineers have gotten smarter (hopefully), so let’s look at it again.

Next week, I’ll be covering the eTFS in detail again. Here is what I will touch on:

  • eTFS: Why Hospitals Want To Switch
  • What Does(n’t) Work
  • Oops! Now What Are My Options?

I’d also like to spend a day on Q&A. To that end, please start emailing, commenting, or tweeting your questions so I can answer them in detail at the end of the week. Let the games begin!

Nursing

Nursing Tips for Managing Pediatric Orthopedic Trauma

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Nurses have a complementary role with physicians in caring for children with orthopedic injuries. Typically, the child will have been evaluated and had some sort of fracture management implemented. In children, nursing management is easer than in adults since a child is less likely to need an invasive surgical procedure. Many fractures can be dealt with using casts and splints alone.

Here are a few tips for providing the best care for your pediatric patients:

  • Ensure adequate splinting / casting. You will have an opportunity to see the child at their usual level of activity. If it appears likely that their activity may defeat the purpose of the cast or splint, inform the surgeon or extender so they can apply a better one.
  • Focus on pain control. Nothing aggravates parents more than seeing their child in pain! Make sure acetominophen or ibuprofen is available prn if pain is very mild, or scheduled if more significant. Ensure that mild narcotics are available if pain levels are higher. Remember, stool softeners are mandatory if narcotics are given.
  • Monitor compartments frequently. If a cast is used, check the distal part of the extremity for pain, unwillingness to move, numbness or swelling. If any are present, call the physician or extender and expect prompt attention to the problem.
  • Always think about the possibility of abuse. Fractures are rarely seen in children under 3, and almost never if less than 1 year old. If you have concerns about the physical findings or parent interactions, let the physician and social workers know immediately.
Newsletter

In The Next Trauma MedEd Newsletter: Massive Transfusion

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The next Trauma MedEd newsletter will be released later this month. In this issue, I will cover the good old Massive Transfusion Protocol (MTP) in detail.

Topics will include:

  • How to build a good MTP for your hospital
  • Analysis of the various parts of the MTP
  • How to accurately trigger your MTP
  • What’s the right “ratio” of products to give?
  • How does TEG fit into the MTP
  • and more!

As always, this issue will go to all of my subscribers first. If you are not yet one of them, click this link to sign up now and/or download back issues.

Unfortunately, non-subscribers will have to wait until I release the issue on this blog, about 10 days later. So sign up now!

Pop quiz

Pop Quiz: What’s The Diagnosis? The Answer

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Okay, time for the answer. This 12 year old crashed his moped, taking handlebar to the mid-epigastrium. Over the next 3 days, he felt progressively worse and finally couldn’t keep food down.

Mom brought him to the ED. The child appeared ill, and had a WBC count of 18,000. The abdomen was firm, with involuntary guarding throughout and a hint of peritonitis. The diagnosis was made on the single abdominal xray shown yesterday. Here is a close-up of the good stuff?

Emergency docs, your differential diagnosis list with this history is a pancreatic vs a duodenal injury based on the mechanism.

Classic findings for duodenal injury:

  • Scoliosis with the concavity to the right. This is caused by psoas muscle irritation and spasm from retroperitoneal soiling by the duodenal leak.
  • Loss of the psoas shadow on the right. Hard to see on this xray, but the left psoas shadow is visible, the right is not. This is due to fluid and inflammation along this plane.
  • Air in the retroperitoneum. In this closeup, you can actually see tiny bubbles of leaked air outlining the right kidney. There are also bubbles along the duodenum and a few along the right psoas.

We fluid resuscitated first (important! dehydration is common and can lead to hemodynamic issues upon induction of anesthesia) and performed a laparotomy. There was a  blowout in the classic position, at the junction of 1st and 2nd portions of the duodenum. The hole was repaired in layers and a pyloric exclusion was performed, with 2 closed drains placed in the area of the leak.

The child did well, and went home after 5 days with the drains out. Feel free to common or leave questions!