Citation

Curtis K, Caldwell E, Delprado A, Munroe B. Australas. Emerg. Nurs. J. 2012; 15(1): 45-54.

Affiliation

St George Hospital Trauma Service, Australia; Sydney Nursing School, University of Sydney, Australia; The George Institute for Global Health, Australia; Emergency Department, The Wollongong Hospital, Australia; St George Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, University of NSW, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, College of Emergency Nursing Australasia, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.aenj.2011.12.001

PMID

22813623

Abstract

Injury is a leading cause of mortality, hospitalised morbidity and disability in Australia and New Zealand. Of the many public health challenges facing clinicians on a daily basis, traumatic injury is one of the most significant. A large spectrum of injury severity may result, ranging from minor injuries which require little medical intervention through to severe multisystem trauma, requiring definitive management by an experienced multidisciplinary team. An improved understanding of the incidence and prevalence of trauma can empower clinicians of all levels of experience to contribute to improving the trauma system they work in at a local level. This paper provides an overview of the history and epidemiology of traumatic injury in Australia and New Zealand.

Language: en