Steve, Dan, and Holly introduce themselves, and today’s focus, trauma. Steve reviews his educational background, and how his university set him up for success in paramedicine. He then transitions into his craziest trauma call, dispatched a potential stabbing. Walking into the scene, Steve sees his patient, a 20-something-year-old who has been stabbed two times in the chest and once left arm. The crew bandages the superficial bleeding chest laceration, and places and tourniquet on the left arm laceration. When the patient loses consciousness, Steve has to act quickly to handle a tension pneumothorax.
Steve, Dan, and Holly discuss the sequence of assessing a trauma patient. The physiological process of a tension pneumothorax is reviewed. The trio discusses what signs and symptoms indicate the need for a needle decompression in the field. Proper placement of the needle during a chest decompression is outlined. Holly sheds some light on what occurs in the hospital after a patient is dropped off with a decompressed tension pneumothorax.
Dan details his craziest trauma call, which began on the way to a public education event. Enroute, Dan and his partner receive a call, a GSW to the face. The team performs a surgical cricothyroidotomy on scene in order to establish a patent airway. Dan discusses his thought process on the call and outlines his preferred method of performing a surgical cricothyroidotomy. Dan, Holly, and Steve review surgical cricothyroidotomy.
Holly talks about her trauma call, which began as a search and assist on a mountain top. After assistance from a local volunteer firefighter, Holly and her partner arrive on scene to a single-vehicle MVC off the side of a cliffside. Five patients are present, three alive and two deceased. Holly describes the scene, and discusses challenges to care.
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