Trauma: Stabilization and Transport
Trauma: Stabilization and Transport 
Division of Critical Care Medicine
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Trauma:Stabilization and Transport 
Objectives 
    * Discuss the epidemiology of pediatric trauma
    * Review the primary survey
    * Identify priorities in care
    * Discuss differences between adult & pediatric trauma
    * Discuss pediatric trauma management
    * Review the development of and 
      guidelines for transport 
Neurosurgeon 
Resuscitation Team 
Surgical Specialties 
Medical Specialties 
Nursing 
ICU 
OR 
Anesthesia 
Orthopedic Surgeon 
Trauma Surgeon 
ALWAYS OPEN TRAUMA CENTER
Trauma:Initial Stabilization 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization 
The Golden Hour 
    * R. Adams Cowley, MD
    * Care within 60 min.
    * mortality if care given > 60 min.
"You live or die depending on where you have your accident because they take you to the nearest hospital!" 
R. Adams Cowley, MD
“In the Blink of an Eye”
A-M-P-L-E History
          A - Allergies
          M - Medications
          P - Previous history
          L - Last ate
          E - Events of accident
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Management of Multiple Trauma 
    * Primary survey
    * Initial stabilization 
      and resuscitation
    * Secondary survey
    * Definitive care
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  The Primary Survey 
    * A rapid initial assessment
    * An "ABC" approach
    * Resuscitation done simultaneously
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  The Secondary Survey 
    * After the "ABCs"
    * Head to toe examination
Trauma Initial Stabilization  Definitive Care Phase 
    * Overall management
    * Fracture stabilization
    * Stabilization/transport
    * Emergent surgery
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Pediatric Considerations 
    * ABCs
    * Differences: 
      1) Size 
      2) Injury pattern 
      3) Fluids 
      4) Surface area 
      5) Psychological 
      6) Long term effects
Trauma:Initial Stabilization 
In pediatric trauma, you don’t just have and injured child, you have an injured family 
M. Eichelberger, MD
“In the Blink of an Eye”
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  The Primary Survey 
A - Airway and C-Spine
B - Breathing
C - Circulation (with hemorrhage control)
D - Disability
E - Exposure
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  The Primary Survey 
    * Airway:
          o Establish patency
          o Beware C- Spine
          o Do not:
                + Flex
                + Hyperextend
    * Oxygen
          o treat potential hypoxemia
          o all trauma patients get O2
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Pediatric Considerations 
    * Craniofacial disproportion
    * "Sniffing" position
    * Obligate nose breathers
    * Anatomy
          o tongue
          o larynx
          o trachea
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Suspected Airway Obstruction 
    * Stridor
    * Cyanosis
    * Absence of breath sounds
    * Dysphagia, snoring, gurgling
    * Altered mental status
    * Trauma to head, face, neck
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Cervical Spine Differences 
    * Flexible interspinous ligaments
    * Underdeveloped neck muscles
    * Poorly developed articulations
    * Anterior vertebral bodies
    * Flat facet joints
    * Large head to BSA
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Cervical Spine 
    * Predisposed to serious high cervical injuries
    * Assume its presence in:
          o Blunt injury above clavicle
          o Multisystem trauma
          o Significant injury - MVA, fall
          o Altered sensorium
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Cervical Spine: Radiographs 
    * Pseudosubluxation
    * distance dens and C-1
    * Growth plate fracture
    * SCIWORA
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Airway Management 
    * Clear airway
    * Jaw thrust/stabilization maneuver
    * Oral/nasal airway
    * Oxygenate/ventilate
    * Intubation
    * Cricothyroidotomy
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  C-Spine Immobilization 
    * Backboard
    * Appropriate C-collar
    * Snadbags or towel
    * Tape
    * Torso immobilization
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Primary Survey: Breathing  
    * Assess via
          o Exposure
          o Rate/depth of respiration
          o Inspection/palpation
          o Quality/symmetry of breath sounds
NB: An intact airway Does Not assure adequate ventilation!!
    * Oxygen
    * Assisted ventilation
    * Alleviate life threatening injuries
Thoracic Injury Heart, Lung, Mediastinum 
    * Penetrating
          o Sucking, Bubbling
          o Hemopneumothorax
          o Tamponade
    * Blunt
          o Flail Chest
          o Contusion (lung, heart)
          o Aortic Dissection
          o Tracheal Rupture
          o Diaphram Rupture 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Chest Trauma 
    * Tension pneumothorax
    * Hemothorax
    * Flail chest
    * Cardiac tamponade
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Chest Trauma 
    * Blunt injury common
    * More compliant chest wall
    * Sensitive to flail segment
    * Mobile mediastinum
    * Major vascular injury uncommon
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Tension Pneumothorax 
    * Air in the pleural space without exit
    * Collapse of ipsilateral lung
    * Compressed contralateral lung
    * Mediastinal shift
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Tension Pneumothorax: Signs and Symptoms 
    * Respiratory distress
    * Unilaterally diminished breath sounds
    * Hyperresonance on affected side
    * Tracheal deviation
    * Distended neck veins
    * Cyanosis
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Tension Pneumothorax: Treatment 
    * Needle decompression
          o 2nd intercostal space mid-clavicular line
    * Chest tube
          o 4-5th intercostal space mid-axillary line
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Hemothorax: Signs and Symptoms 
    * breath sounds on affected side
    * Dullness to percussion
    * Hypovolemia
    * Flat vs distended neck veins
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Hemothorax: Treatment 
    * Fluids/blood
    * Decompression
    * Chest tube
    * Autotransfusion
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Flail Chest 
    * Boney discontinuity of the chest wall
    * Major problem = underlying injury
    * Signs and symptoms
          o respiratory distress
          o paradoxical chest wall movement
          o severe chest pain
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Flail Chest:Treatment 
    * Oxygen
    * Stabilize segment
    * Re-expand lung
    * + intubation
    * Give fluids cautiously
Trauma: Initial Stabilization  abdominal trauma 
    * Following the head and extremities, the abdomen is the third most commonly injured anatomic region in children
    * significant morbidity and may have a mortality rate as high as 8.5%
    * abdomen is the most common site of initially unrecognized fatal injury in traumatized children
Trauma: Initial Stabilization  abdominal trauma 
    * Why more prone to abdominal injury
          o child has thinner musculature
          o ribs are more flexible in the child
          o solid organs are comparatively larger in the child
          o fat content and more elastic attachments leading to increased mobility
          o bladder is more exposed to a direct impact to the lower abdomen
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage Management
          o Immediate surgical exploration
          o Non-operative protocols
                + successful in more than 95% of blunt abdominal trauma in appropriately selected cases
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage 
Immediate Surgical Exploration
          o Abdominal distention + “shock”
          o Transfusion requirement > 40 cc/kg
          o Peritonitis
          o Pneumoperitoneum
          o Bladder rupture
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage 
CT Scan
          o Hemodynamically stable
          o Unreliable exam
          o Immediate non-abdominal surgery
          o Specific Indicators
        Hematuria (any)
                SGOT 200, SGPT > 100
                Hyperamylasemia
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage 
    * FAST
          o standard part of the initial evaluation of bluntly injured abdomens in adults
          o rapid assessment of the peritoneal cavity and can detect free fluid
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage 
          o Pediatrics role of FAST is still up for debate
                + Detailed information regarding the grade of organ injury is not provided by the FAST
                + operator-dependent and lacks specificity
                + FAST examination produces a significant number of false-negative results
Intraperitoneal Hemorrhage 
Diagnostic Peritoneal Lavage
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Frequent Reassessment of Vital Signs 
What Are Normal Pediatric Vital Signs?
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Pediatric Vital Signs 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation: Vital Signs 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization Circulation: Shock 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation: Fluid Therapy 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation: Fluid Therapy 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation: Blood Replacement 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Circulation:Pediatric Considerations 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Disability 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Disability: Children's Glasgow Coma Scale 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Pediatric Trauma Score 
Airway Normal  Oral or nasal Intubated, tracheostomy
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Expose: Pediatric Considerations 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Cathertization 
Trauma:Initial Stabilization  Definitive Care 
Questions ??
References 
Trauma: Stabilization and Transport .ppt
