Anaesthesia | Paediatrics | Multiply Injured Child

Multiply Injured Child
Session Overview
Description
This session looks at the initial management and stabilization of the multiply injured child with reference to published trauma guidelines.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• List the major causes of mortality in children
• Identify the factors which have led to a fall in deaths from major trauma in children
• Describe the management of the multiply injured child with reference to published guidelines
• Recognize the key differences between children and adults when managing trauma

Previously healthy children can present to district general hospitals (DGHs) with life-threatening injuries following multiple trauma.

As there are no dedicated paediatric trauma centres as such in the UK, the anaesthetist will continue to play a major role in the initial resuscitation and stabilisation of critically ill children who present to A&E departments in DGHs and adult hospitals.

Anaesthetists are involved with multiply injured children during:

• Initial resuscitation
• Diagnostic imaging (CT scan)
• Emergency/urgent surgery
• ICU/transfer to neurosurgery centre
• The management of postoperative pain

This session explores the epidemiology of child trauma and death. It then focuses on the initial management of the multiply injured child with reference to published guidelines. It also highlights why children can not simply be treated as small adults.