Trauma, Emergency and Catastrophe

Recommended Prerequisites

Knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology indispensable to clinical practice (Anatomy I, II and III, Biochemistry I and II, and Physiology I and II)

Knowledge of the spectrum of the most relevant injuries in Thoracic and Abdominal Trauma (Propedeutics I and II)

Acquaintance with head, pelvic and extremities trauma (Neurology, Orthopedics and Traumatology)

Clinical skills in patient assessment (history taking and physical examination) (Propedeutics I and II)

Interpretation of arterial blood gases and imaging exams (Pathophysiology and Radiology)

Ability to perform clinical reasoning, integrating clinical data and results of ancillary tests in the decision-making process, weighing the risks and benefits of intervention

Fluency in the English language (written and oral)

Note: In order that these contents are mastered, this syllabus is recommended for 5th year undergraduates.

Teaching Methods

Lectures

Interactive seminars, including virtual clinical cases - Body Interact™ platform

Simulation sessions

• Technical skills (airway, breathing and shock), using Peyton’s four-step approach

• Non-technical skills (soft skills: task allocation, decision-making, situational awareness, leadership and communication)

• Team training sessions, with embedded training and the blindfolded team leader technique

• Systematic use of debriefing after simulation scenarios.

Learning Outcomes

Integration of previous knowledge on traumatic injury (head, thoraco-abdominal, pelvic and extremities), enabling the initial assessment and resuscitation of the polytrauma patient

Develop resuscitation skills (surgical airway, chest drainage, pelvic binder, tourniquet, venous access)

Recognize the need for multidisciplinary approach to the critical patient. Development of non-technical skills (soft skills: task allocation, decision-making, situational awareness, leadership and communication). Teamwork training in simulated trauma scenarios

Acknowledge the principles of prehospital management of the critically injured patient. Develop teamwork skills in doctor-nurse management of prehospital emergencies

Consolidate knowledge on the medical response to major incidents and the integration with rescue and security operations. Develop and train skills in triage, communication in crisis and work in a chain of command

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Principles of initial assessment and resuscitation of the severely injured patient. Prehospital notification (AT-MIST), preparation and reception of the patient. Resuscitation techniques (airway, breathing and circulation) and adjuvant methods (arterial blood gas, radiography and FAST). Transfer of patient to definitive care and patient handover (SBAR)

Teamwork in severe trauma cases and non-technical skills (task allocation, decision-making, situational awareness, leadership and communication). Definition and roles of team member and team leader. Communication techniques in trauma resuscitation. Debriefing the team

Principles of prehospital medicine. Activation and coordination of the prehospital response. Teamwork in prehospital emergencies. Transport of the critically injured patient

Medical response to major incidents. Principles and methods of triage. Coordination with rescue and security operations. Communication in crisis and chain of command.

Head Lecturer(s)

Henrique Miguel Marques Bom Borges Alexandrino

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Exam pratical: 40.0%
Exam: 60.0%

Bibliography

American College of Surgeons. Advanced Trauma Life Support 10th Edition . ATLS Student Course Manual. Committee on Trauma – American College of Surgeons. 2018

 

Goode, Mountain, Thies (Eds.) European Trauma Course Manual, 4th Edition. European Trauma Course Organization. 2018

 

Boffard KD (Ed.) Manual of Definitive Surgical Trauma Care, Fifth Edition. Hodder Arnold. 2019

 

Gillman, Widder, Blaivas, Karakitsos (Eds.) Trauma Team Dynamics - A Trauma Crisis Resource Management Manual. Springer. 2016

 

Lengquist (Ed.) Medical Response to Major Incidents, Springer. 2012

 

Alexandrino H, Baptista S, Mesquita C. Surgical education in trauma: Physiology , damage control and the DSTC course. Clin Educ Med Simul. 2018;1, nr. 1