Prehospital Care in Penetrating Trauma

Abstract

The prehospital care of the critically injured victim of penetrating trauma begins with systematic organization to place the proper staff, equipment, and other resources in position to aggressively treat these patients. Prehospital providers must fight the clock and be in a state of constant motion toward the definitive care offered by the trauma surgeon. The traditional treatment dichotomy of “stay and stabilize” vs. “scoop and go” should be modified to “treat during transport.” Paramedics must be given adequate ongoing experience in caring for these exigently ill patients to facilitate rapid correction of deficiencies in the patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation. New techniques, including tourniquets for life threatening extremity hemorrhage, and hemostatic dressings, may play a role in the care of these patients. With rapid transport and simultaneous treatment, prehospital personnel can significantly change the outcome of their patients’ disease, transitioning them from moribund to salvageable.