How did you feel...First Major Trauma??

[CAOX3]

Dang, I thought I was bad. No GSWs? No stabbings? No construction site accidents? Nothing but an avulsed leg?

Give it time, they come in bunches.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Give it time, they come in bunches.

I hope so. I haven't had a true critical trauma in well over five months. And it has been almost a year since I wen on an MVA with entrapment. It will be a year first week in October. I only remember that because it was my first IV stick in the field. Crawled into the upside down truck with the guy and went to work as extrication crews dismantled the truck from around us. It was cool.

I just want to at least get a few trauma calls now and then........ Not wait a year in between critical ones. Call me sick if you want to, but the way is see it is that people are going to get hurt. I can't do a thing about it. Why can't they just get hurt while I am on shift then? :-S

I do have to add that my first major trauma was a 20 yom. Kid ran his hand into a table saw and sliced his hand right down between his middle and ring fingers all the way into his wrist. It was an amazingly clean cut. Blood everywhere and we never got the bleeding completely controled.

 

[Shishkabob]

but the way is see it is that people are going to get hurt. I can't do a thing about it. Why can't they just get hurt while I am on shift then? :-S

The way a preceptor explained it to me: People are going to get sick and hurt no matter what, we may as well be there to help them.



I need, yes need, the bad stuff to happen because being a new medic I need to be exposed to those situations more to better handle them so that they become second nature in the future instead of going "Oh crap what do I do?", even if it's just in my head.

 

[Veneficus]

I guess this would be a bad time to point out that major trauma cases are declining?

 

[the_negro_puppy]

We dont get a lot of trauma here. My first major was around 2 months ago.

2 motorcyclesist (aged 50 is) were riding 100 km/h (60 mph) when a car coming the other way had its trailer with a car on it jack knife and swing onto the wrong side of the road. Bot motorcycles hit the trailer.

Due to location took us 20 mins to get there. Just before us a single officer from a rural station had arrived , had a quick look at both pts and started treating the 'worse one'. When we arrived I jumped out while partner positioned vehicle. Our pt was lying supine on road with helmet on and full riding suit. He was GCS14 and in a lot of pain. Lots of bystanders all staring at me to do something lol.

I got to remove the damaged helmet and help collar the guy, before we started cutting his pants and shirt off to get obs, an IV line in etc. Pt ended up having # ankle, # raidus/ulna and # humerus on other arm. Complained of mid thoracic pain, did not appear to have a head injury. We splinted, did full spinal precautions with his vitals good at the time. I palpated his pelvis which didnt seem to hurt him but just as we loaded we decided to pelvic splint. By this stage 13 ambulance personal in total including a service docctor were on scene for both motorcyclists.. Other pt had tension pneumo and fractures and was RSI'd. Out pt got a portable abdo ultrasound in the back of the truck which was negative for bleeding.

Delivered him GCS14 to hospital took about 30 mins, complaining of pain and numbness/tingling down one side. FOllowed up recently, turned out he had 13 total fractures and now has an acquired brain injury/may be a vegetabl.e

 

[Veneficus]

and now has an acquired brain injury/may be a vegetabl.e

That is why they are called "donor cycles." :unsure:

 

[Aidey]

I honestly couldn't tell you what my "first" one was. I'm bad at remembering things chronologically. I'm also good at "treat and move on", so the end result is that I tend to remember the clinic stuff, and not much else (like when or where it happened).

I guess this would be a bad time to point out that major trauma cases are declining?

I've noticed a lack of 'middle ground' type calls. It seems like people are either walking away with no or minor injuries or they are dead. There aren't a lot of multi-system trauma patients. Recently I can think of several fatality MVAs where everyone died, or one person died and the rest were ok. I can only think of one where a patient was a true multi system trauma patient (Spinal injury /c paralysis + pneumo + flail chest on one side + 4-5 broken ribs on the other + broken collarbone & humerus. Wear your seat belts people!).

 

[Saytuck99]

Thank you

Thank you for all of your responses...It really helped...

I also talked it out with the crew who was with me..and I feel better about it...My instincts would have been correct if we were first on scene..with regard to what and how to treat this patient...

there was just not a lot for our crew to do..treatment was underway by providers fully equipped and of a higher level than on our rig..(bc we are volly people respond from home fully stocked)..and all we could do was grab stuff they needed...the Helo landed 100 feet away in the same parking lot...so no transport...and there it is...

Hopefully during my critical care class (EMT-I..sort of) and the 100 hours of field internship I will be exposed to more...and sit more comfortably with my ability..

 

[piranah]

i felt hungry...idk seems after every code and truama i eat lol\

 

[KY_EMT]

i felt hungry...idk seems after every code and truama i eat lol\

Yep, same here! LOL LOL I wondered if I was the only one An amputated finger...I start craving french fries and kethcup LOL

 

[Shishkabob]

I was STARVING after my first code. I just ate and slept the rest of the day.

 

[firetender]

I guess this would be a bad time to point out that major trauma cases are declining?

Who sez and why?

 

[reaper]

Same reason why MOI is no longer an indicator in an MVC. Safety features have come a long way.

 

[the_negro_puppy]

Who sez and why?

Safety, education and better roads/public awareness.

As part of some trauma lectures i attended. We were shown trauma videos from South Africa, the trauma capital of the world. Down there people drive dodgy vehicles over the speed limit, overloaded with people wearing no seatbelts. This is not a common occurrence in 1st world develops nations. Decreases in violent crime such as stabbings and shootings also contribute to the fall in trauma.

 

[firetender]

Safety, education and better roads/public awareness.

Hadn't thought about it until now but even the days of sprawling factories with complex/dangerous insides are pretty much gone. Certain areas have higher rates of industrial accidents but they are on the wane as well.