NR 341 Trauma & Organ Donation Notes

NR 341 Trauma & Organ Donation Notes Care of the client with acute trauma/organ transplant: Remember the quicker you treat the better. Time is a major factor. The faster you bring someone to help the recovery is going to be better and quicker. Trauma: injury caused by external forces or violence. Goals of trauma care are prevention and preservation of life. Most common causes of trauma are poisoning, motor vehicle crashes, firearms, and falls. Disaster and mass casualty management: A sudden event which can overwhelm the community resources. Trauma systems are responsible for disaster planning. - Trauma triage helps determine appropriate care for injured clients. Expectant: comfort care only, they are expected to die. Nothing we can do can save them. Provide them comfort during their time on earth. May be as simple as holding their hand. Non – urgent: minor injuries that the client can self-treat. The client can also drive themselves or get themselves to a hospital. Urgent: major injuries requiring care within one hour. Emergent: life – threatening injuries that need immediate care. EX: pneumothorax – we want to needle aspirate. Trauma triage further elaborated: 1. expectant: give them comfort care. Meaning whatever you try to do they are not going to make it. We don’t neglect them but when someone is expectant category we will just provide comfort. Whatever we try to do they aren’t going to make it, so we just give comfort. “expected to die” 2. Non-urgent: they have minor injuries that client can self-treat. Cuts and bruises. They are awake, they are alert. If it’s necessary, they can call a cab and go to the hospital. (we want to focus on urgent and emergent group). 3. Urgent: major injuries requiring care within one hour. Severe abdominal injury, pelvis fracture. Need to get to the hospital within an hour. 4. Emergent: life threatening injuries that need immediate care. If you do something for this patient right away or take them to the hospital, they can make it. Ex: pneumothorax, flale chest, head and neck injuries, traumatic amputation, femoral