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Trauma

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Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care

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Abstract

Care of the trauma patient in the intensive care unit (ICU) involves a multidisciplinary team and approach. Early in the patient’s course, the focus is on resuscitation and restoration of oxygenation and blood flow. Examination for unidentified injuries occurs throughout the initial phase of the patient’s care. Later in the ICU course, the focus shifts to prevention and management of organ dysfunction, physical therapy, and rehabilitation and ultimately preparation for discharge from the ICU. This chapter will guide the reader through the initial assessment of the trauma patient in the ICU based on the same ABCDE framework used in the trauma bay: airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure. Subsequent care of the ICU trauma patient will be detailed based on an organ system approach. Throughout the trauma patient’s stay in the ICU, a systems-based approach to care for the patient avoids missed or delayed identification of injuries and enables a complete assessment of the patient.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    D. Joshua Mancini MD

  2. Division of Traumatology, Surgical Critical Care & Emergency Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    Mark J. Seamon MD

  3. Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA

    C. William Schwab MD, FACS

Authors
  1. D. Joshua Mancini MD
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  2. Mark J. Seamon MD
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  3. C. William Schwab MD, FACS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Joshua Mancini MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Niels D. Martin

  2. Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Emergency Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Lewis J. Kaplan

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Mancini, D.J., Seamon, M.J., Schwab, C.W. (2016). Trauma. In: Martin, N.D., Kaplan, L.J. (eds) Principles of Adult Surgical Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33341-0_33

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