Continuing Professional Development: Major trauma and catastrophic haemorrhage
Abstract
Overview
Major trauma is a leading worldwide cause of mortality, killing or seriously injuring thousands of people each day. Casualties have the potential to die immediately as a result of massive head injury or rupture of major vessels, or shortly afterwards as a result of progressive blood loss and hypoxia. A third group survive the initial insult, but succumb to their wounds days or weeks later as a result of secondary conditions including multiple organ failure and sepsis. This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module will focus on the rapid assessment and timely management of casualties of major trauma, with particular emphasis placed on the catastrophically haemorrhaging patient.
Learning Outcomes
After completing this module you will be able to:
• Define the concepts of major trauma and catastrophic haemorrhage
• Appreciate the range of traumatic injuries sustained in the United Kingdom
• Revise the pathophysiology of haemorrhage and hypovolaemic shock
• Understand the management of the traumatically injured patient
• Learn about a range of recent developments in trauma care