Citation

Raux M, Vivien B, Tourtier JP, Langeron O. Ann. Fr. Anesth. Reanim. 2013; 32(7-8): 472-476.

Affiliation

Salle de surveillance post-interventionnelle et d'accueil des polytraumatisés, département d'anesthésie réanimation, groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Assistance publique-hôpitaux de Paris, 47-83, boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75651 Paris cedex, France; Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, UPMC Paris 6, 75013 Paris, France. Electronic address: mathieu.raux@psl.aphp.fr.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.annfar.2013.07.004

PMID

23906735

Abstract

Severity assessment in trauma patients is mandatory. It started during initial phone call that alerts emergency services when a trauma occurred. On-call physician assesses severity based on witness-provided information, to adapt emergency response (paramedics, emergency physicians). Initial severity assessment is subsequently improved based on first-responder provided informations. Whenever information comes, it helps providing adequate therapeutics and orientating the patient to the appropriate hospital. Severity assessment is based upon pre-trauma medical conditions, mechanism of injury, anatomical lesions and their consequences on physiology. Severity information can be summarized using scores, yet those are not used in France, except for post-hoc scientific purposes. Triage is usually performed using algorithms. Whatever the way triage is performed, triage tools are based on mortality as main judgement criterion. Other criteria should be considered, such as therapeutics requirements. The benefit of biomarkers of ultrasonography at prehospital setting remains to be assessed.

Language: en