Single Role Paramedic Granite Falls Fire District 17 Seattle, Washington
Disclosure(s):
Frances Hall, NREMT-P: No financial relationships to disclose
Trauma was and remains a leading cause of death of younger and healthy adults in America and worldwide. Many of these patients have injuries that cannot be managed in a prehospital setting. Success in salvageable cases depends on consistent implementation of the core tenants of modern trauma management: rapid transport to an appropriate facility, temperature management, and attempting to maintain blood pressure. Reducing fatalities depends on effectively managing that can be alleviated in a preshopital setting: extremity hemmorhage, junctional hemorrhage, sucking chest wounds, eviscerations and neck wounds. While commercial devices are always better than their improvised counterparts, there are situations where providers will not have these resources, such as off-duty or rural settings. These items can be effectively improvised out of nearly any item available. Through a series of case studies and hands-on scenarios and prompts, attendees will learn how to produce something that will function as a chest seal, extremity or junctional tourniquet and occlusive dressing out of items they may be able to find in their kits, car, or around the house.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to recognize the indications for use of a junctional tourniquet and describe the necessary placement and characteristics of such a tourniquet.
Upon completion, participants will be able to improvise a variety of specialty trauma equipment for prehospital care, including chest seals, extremity tourniquets and junctional tourniquets, from everyday items.
Upon completiong, participants will be able to evaluate and recognize resources for trauma care outside of standard texts incorporate these into their own practice and teach them in turn.
