Management of Multiply injured patient ,as per ATLS.

Lecture (1& 2) / December 2016 Ass. Prof. Dr. Alaa Al-algawy

• Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death <40 years of age and the
third leading cause overall.
• Traumatic injury is a common cause of admission to ICU .
• Injuries are often multisystem in nature.

Deaths from trauma follow a trimodal distribution :

First Peak: Within seconds to minutes : due to Brain injury, or Brain stem laceration, high spinal cord injuries, heart , aorta or other major blood vessels injuries. Very few of those Patients can be salvaged. only prevention can significantly reduce this peak of trauma related deaths.
Second Peak: Death occurs within minutes to several hours.ATLS course focuses primarily on this peak.Deaths due to Subdural, Epidural haematoma, hemo-pnemothorax, ruptured spleen, liver laceration, pelvic fractures,and/or multiple injuries associated with massive blood loss.
The first hour of quick assessment & management is the fundamental principle of the ATLS.