Trauma Management

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23 Trauma Management

Introduction

Trauma refers to physical injury that is caused by mechanical injury, also known as kinetic injury. Injury remains the leading cause of death in adults under 45 years of age, and is a leading cause of preventable mortality and morbidity in Australia and New Zealand, as well as the rest of the world.14 Furthermore, injury represents a major cost to injured individuals, the healthcare system and society.5,6 More than 5.2 million people throughout the world die due to injury, with 90% occurring in low- to middle-income countries. According to the World Health Organization, injury accounts for 16% of the world’s disease burden.7

The injury epidemiology for trauma differs with severity. The majority of trauma patients requiring admission to an ICU are those with more serious injuries that are associated with motor vehicles, motorbikes and pedestrian collisions. Falls, collisions and assaults are less common, but still frequent, causes of trauma requiring critical care admission. A significant proportion of injured patients admitted to critical care have experienced neurotrauma, while other common injuries include multiple fractures and injury to internal organs in the thorax and abdomen.

The systematic organisation of trauma systems and improved delivery of prehospital care has resulted in improved survival of trauma patients in recent years. Consequently, a greater number of patients with severe multiple injuries are now admitted to critical care units. These patients generally require complex nursing care, often for lengthy periods, both within the critical care unit and beyond. This chapter reviews the common traumatic injuries that result in admission to critical care and outlines the principles of management.

Trauma Systems and Processes

A trauma system can be defined as:

Without trauma systems in place, a range of organisational and clinical errors in the management of trauma patients have been identified. These errors occur at all stages of care, including prehospital, emergency, operating theatre, intensive care unit, wards, and during transfers between hospitals.9 The majority of errors identified were errors in management of patients, although approximately 20% of errors occurred as a result of system inadequacies. A smaller number of technique or diagnostic errors occurred.

Over the past 20 years there has been increasing emphasis on the development of trauma systems that cover geographical areas, such as a nominated state or region. The introduction of trauma systems has resulted in a 15–30% reduction in the risk of death, primarily in the area of preventable deaths.10 Although this reduction appears widespread, it has not been replicated in remote areas,11 and is limited by the lack of examination of deaths that occur before a patient reaches hospital or after discharge. Additionally, the lack of examination of functional outcomes limits interpretation of the trauma system, as it is not clear whether the patients who survive have altered functional capacity. Despite these limitations, there is widespread agreement on the benefits of trauma system implementation, although the contribution of nursing care in such trauma systems is rarely considered or measured. Furthermore, the precise components of a trauma system that prove beneficial have not been identified.12

Prehospital Care

The debate regarding the relative benefits of stabilising a patient at the scene versus proceeding to the hospital as quickly as possible, is not new.13 Benefits are somewhat dependent on the proximity of effective trauma facilities, the level of knowledge and skills of the prehospital personnel available and the specific injuries and condition of the patient. The principle of the ‘golden hour’ remains in place today and suggests that, in order to improve outcomes, definitive care should be provided to patients as soon as possible, and preferably within 1 hour of the injury being sustained.13,14 In countries with large distances and sparse populations this aim presents particular challenges and cannot be met in many regions. Despite these distances and transport challenges, recognition of life-threatening conditions, application of appropriate emergency interventions and prompt transport to the nearest appropriate hospital remain the principles of prehospital care.1315

In a number of regions, processes are in place to facilitate prehospital admission: personnel can notify the receiving hospital in advance, for those patients who meet predefined criteria. Identified patients generally have severe physiological compromise, or injuries from high-velocity causes that result in significant injury and associated poor outcomes. Early notification allows the assembly of a multidisciplinary group of health professionals who can provide immediate, expert assessment, resuscitation and treatment of critically injured patients.16,17 Such trauma teams have been shown to provide benefit in the early management of multiply-injured trauma patients, and are reviewed later in this chapter.10,16

Transport of the Critically Ill Trauma Patient

Transport of critically injured patients occurs at two stages in the patient’s care. Primary transport occurs from the place of injury to the first healthcare facility to provide care to the patient; this is sometimes referred to as prehospital transport. Secondary transport occurs between healthcare facilities; this is sometimes referred to as interhospital transport. This chapter concentrates on secondary transport, although many of the principles are similar for both stages of transport. Intrahospital transport principles are also relevant for critically injured patients being transferred within departments in a healthcare facility (see Chapter 6). Transport of a patient between healthcare facilities may occur for clinical reasons, such as specialist or higher levels of care being required, or for non-clinical reasons, such as bed availability. It is preferable for patient transfer to be for clinical reasons only; however non-clinical transfer is sometimes unavoidable.

Secondary transport of critically injured patients may occur via either ground or air (by fixed-wing or helicopter). The decision as to what form of transport to use will depend on:

Amenities such as landing sites, particularly for helicopters, being in close proximity to healthcare facilities must also be considered. Different jurisdictions activate air retrieval using helicopters when the distance for the transport is beyond a certain point, with the minimum distance ranging from 16–80 km.14,15,19,20

It is essential that the standard of care is not compromised during transport of critically injured patients. Minimum standards exist that outline the requirements for transport of critically injured patients, and these should be referred to for full details.13,18,19 The following principles apply during such phases of care:

Trauma Reception

Reception of the trauma patient at the emergency department of the hospital is generally performed by the triage nurse, although in the severely injured patient it is usual for a multidisciplinary team to receive the patient and commence assessment and treatment concurrently. In the setting of a mass-casualty incident, triage may be performed in the field.

The formal process of triage provides a means of categorising patients based on threat to life. Although there are many different triage systems in use, within Australia and New Zealand, the five-level triage categorisation of the Australasian Triage Scale (ATS) is widely used.23 See Chapter 22 for further description of the ATS.

Primary Survey

Priorities of care are similar to those in all health settings, with airway, breathing and circulation taking precedence, and disability and exposure/environment being part of the primary survey (see Chapter 22). These components of care will often occur simultaneously rather than sequentially. Compromise to airway and breathing may result from direct injury, for example to the trachea, or indirectly through decreased level of consciousness. Compromise to circulation is usually as a result of significant blood loss, although it may occur as a result of injuries, such as cardiac contusions in chest trauma, or the patient’s preexisting disease. The priorities of care during this time reflect the principles of care in any setting, and include:

Secondary Survey

Following stabilisation of the life-threatening problems identified during the primary survey, patients should undergo a secondary survey (see Chapter 22). This is a systematic examination of the body regions to identify injuries that have not yet been recognised. It is essential that both the front and the back of the patient, as well as areas covered by clothing, are examined during this process.

Radiological and Other Investigations

Initial radiological investigations will usually be performed in the emergency department using portable equipment. A radiographer is often a member of the trauma team that is activated on notification of the imminent arrival of a severely-injured trauma case. Radiological investigation will be dependent on the type of injury sustained, but will generally consist of a portable X-ray of the injured area/s if these include the chest, cervical spine or pelvis. Other X-rays at this stage are rarely beneficial, or rarely change the course of treatment.

If the patient is sufficiently stable after the secondary survey, more extensive investigation in the radiology department should be undertaken. This will include CT scans. It is essential that clinicians consider investigations carefully, to ensure that all necessary imaging is undertaken; for example, where a CT scan of the brain is required it is often prudent to also undertake a CT scan of the cervical spine. However care should be taken to avoid investigations that will not change the planned treatment but may delay urgent interventions such as surgery. Current controversies in radiation exposure and lifetime-associated cancer risks need to be considered.21 Furthermore, the implications of moving the patient on and off imaging tables for repeated imaging is problematic. The patient should be accompanied and monitored by an appropriately competent nurse during all transfers for investigation. Where the patient is requiring ongoing advanced life support such as fluid resuscitation or airway monitoring, it may also be appropriate for a medical officer to accompany the patient.

Further radiological investigation may be required as part of the tertiary survey. This will depend on the radiological examinations that have been undertaken as part of the secondary survey, the treatment that has already been administered and the current condition of the patient.

Focused assessment with sonography for trauma

Where abdominal trauma is suspected, a focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination22,23 is likely to be used as part of the secondary survey to determine whether free fluid is present in the abdominal cavity. The abdomen is scanned in four zones – pericardial, Morison’s pouch (right upper quandrant), splenorenal (left upper quadrant), and pelvis (Douglas’ pouch). This generally takes 1–2 minutes when performed by an experienced, credentialled clinician. Findings are regarded as positive (fluid [blood] observed), negative or equivocal. Technical difficulties can be experienced with obese patients. While a positive FAST is useful in identifying if a patient should receive urgent surgical intervention, a negative FAST does not rule out significant abdominal trauma, and the low sensitivity of FAST remains a concern for trauma clinicians.22 Where a patient is undergoing a prolonged trauma resuscitation phase, there may be an indication to repeat the FAST after 20 minutes. The use of FAST examination outside the trauma resuscitation and reception phase is occurring more often and can be undertaken in any clinician setting where there is a suspicion of internal haemorrhage or pneumothorax.24

Trauma Teams

There are a number of different ways to organise the early care of trauma patients. The most common method used is through the establishment of multidisciplinary trauma teams that can provide immediate, expert assessment, resuscitation and treatment of traumatised patients, especially those with multiple injuries. Many hospitals that receive trauma cases operate trauma teams that are either activated or placed on standby, via pagers or telephone, based on communications from paramedic personnel in the prehospital setting.25 This activation is based on a combination of physiological and injury criteria (see Table 23.1). Age is sometimes added to the patient criteria, with those under 5 years or over 65 years receiving particular attention. A number of hospitals have two levels of trauma team activation, with more severe injuries activating the full trauma team and less severe activating a partial team. The use of two-tiered trauma team activation has not been shown to affect patient outcomes.17

TABLE 23.1 Criteria for activation of trauma teams26,27

Physiological criteria Injury criteria
Heart rate <50 or >120 beats/min
Respiratory rate <10 or >29 breaths/min
Systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg
Glasgow Coma Scale Score <10
Skin pale, cool or moist
Paralysis
Trauma arrest
Penetrating injury to head, neck or torso
Burn to ≥20% body surface area
Fall ≥5 metres
Multiple trauma
Crush or degloving injury to extremity
Amputation proximal to the wrist or ankle
Motor vehicle crash with ejection

Common Clinical Presentations

Trauma generally occurs to a specific area of the body (e.g. the chest or the head) or consists of an injury caused by a specific external cause (e.g. burns). This section has been arranged according to these specific types of injury, including skeletal, chest, abdominal and from burns. Specific considerations relating to penetrating injuries have been covered separately, although the majority of care for patients with penetrating injuries will follow the principles of the area for injury. For example, a patient with a penetrating injury of the abdomen will generally be cared for in the same way as all patients with abdominal trauma.

Patients with multitrauma will also be cared for according to the principles of care for each specific injury, although consideration of priorities is essential. Care should follow the common principles of airway, breathing and circulation, therefore concentrating on respiratory and circulatory compromise first, before moving on to the treatment of other injuries. The relative importance of other injuries, for example neurological trauma or skeletal trauma, will vary for each individual patient and will be dependent on the physiological impact of the injuries. Neurological and spinal cord injury are reviewed in Chapter 17.

Mechanism of Injury

The most common causes of traumatic injury include road traffic crashes, falls and collisions. While falls account for the greatest number of injuries requiring hospitalisation,28 injuries sustained in road traffic crashes tend to be more severe given the high velocity of the trauma, and account for the greatest number of major injuries, including those injuries requiring a critical care admission.2830

The mechanism of injury is recognised as affecting both survival and requirement for admission to the intensive care unit. Patients who are injured in a road traffic crash experience a similar mortality to those injured through falls (approx 3% in all patients and 10–17% in major injury patients), with both groups having a higher mortality than patients injured in assaults and collisions with objects (<1% in all patients and 12% in major injury patients).28,29 The older age group, with associated comorbidities, is likely to account for many of the deaths in the group injured through falls. In addition, patients injured in road traffic crashes tend to spend longer in the intensive care unit than patients injured through falls or assaults and collisions, and experience a greater number of injuries.28

Generic Nursing Practice

Nursing care of trauma patients is characterised by the need to integrate practices directed towards limiting the impact of the injury and healing injuries to multiple body areas in a complex process. The delivery of critical care services must be systematic and must cross departmental and team barriers to achieve a coordinated approach. This section outlines the principles of care relevant to all trauma patients, including positioning, mobilisation, and prevention or minimisation of the trauma triad components of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy.

Positioning and Mobilisation of the Trauma Patient

Appropriate positioning and mobilisation provides a significant challenge for nurses involved in the acute care of the trauma patient. Positioning refers to the alignment and distribution of the patient in the bed, for example supine, Fowler, semirecumbent or prone. In addition to these fundamental nursing postures, there is positioning of the limbs (i.e. elevated arms and legs). Mobilisation refers to the movement of joints by the patient, to shift from one place to another. This movement may be restricted to rolling within the bed, or moving out of the bed.

The principles of positioning and mobilisation are generally not different from those in other critically ill patients, and should incorporate the need to:

Difficulty in positioning and mobilisation is often experienced when there is concern for the stability of the patient’s cervical spine, particularly in unconscious patients. Specific protocols for confirming the absence of injury to the cervical spine in unconscious patients, or those complaining of cervical soreness or abnormal neurology, vary between institutions and regions, but generally incorporate the following principles:31

The practice of maintaining a patient in a hard collar for days without active attempts to gain cervical clearance should be avoided at all costs.

The two methods available for moving the trauma patient are staff manual handling and lifting hoists. Generally, trauma patients can be log-rolled (see Figure 23.1 for initial care and p. 635 for later care) as frequently as required for nursing care. Any restrictions to patient positioning and weight bearing due to injuries or physiological status must be considered through this process; it is essential that care be taken to prevent any worsening of injuries due to handling of the patient. Knowledge of the position restrictions for each limb, including all weight-bearing joints and the vertebrae, is imperative to avoid secondary iatrogenic injury. Certain injuries will impose position and mobility restrictions (see Table 23.2).

TABLE 23.2 Position and mobility restrictions in trauma patients

Type of injury Restrictions
Traumatic brain injury

Facial trauma

Chest trauma

Abdominal trauma Pelvic trauma Extremity trauma

ICP = intracranial pressure.

Practice tip

The NEXUS low-risk criteria have been widely accepted as identifying patients in whom further examination is unnecessary and cervical spine injury can be excluded on the basis of clinical examination.82 These criteria include absence of midline cervical spine tenderness, no focal neurological deficit, no intoxication, no painful distracting injury and normal alertness.

The ‘Trauma Triad’

The critically injured patient can experience the ‘trauma triad’ of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy. While it is possible to experience these pathophysiological conditions individually, they often occur simultaneously. Additionally, hypothermia is a common contributor to the exacerbation of both acidosis and coagulopathy.3338 Acidosis has been discussed in earlier chapters so is reviewed here only as it interacts with hypothermia and coagulopathy in the trauma setting. Low cardiac output, hypotension, hypoxia, hypothermia and rhabdomyolysis are common causes of acidosis in the trauma setting. The increased recognition of the importance of this triad in the trauma setting has led to the development of damage control surgery. The principle of this surgery is reviewed below.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is defined as a core temperature <35°C and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Even in sub-tropical environments, hypothermia is identified in approximately 10% of major trauma cases during the prehospital or in-hospital phase of care.36,39

Uncontrolled causes of hypothermia can be endogenous or accidental.33,34,37,39 Endogenous causes include metabolic dysfunction with decreased heat production, or central nervous system dysfunction with insufficient thermoregulation such as in neurological trauma. Dermal dysfunction, such as a burn, is another endogenous cause of hypothermia.

Accidental hypothermia can occur without thermoregulatory dysfunction, and generally occurs in the trauma patient as a result of environmental exposure either at the injury site or during transport to, or between, healthcare facilities, as a result of large-volume fluid resuscitation or during prolonged surgical procedures. The pathophysiological changes associated with hypothermia vary depending on the severity, and are outlined in Chapter 22. Of particular relevance, shivering leads to increased oxygen consumption and acidosis, and platelet dysfunction leads to impaired clotting.33,36,39

Measures to reduce the incidence of hypothermia – or to correct it when it is present – in the trauma setting include:

In extreme cases of hypothermia internal methods of rewarming, such as cardiopulmonary bypass and peritoneal dialysis or lavage, might be utilised.

Coagulopathy

Coagulation is widespread in the trauma setting, and ranges from a mild defect in coagulation function to life-threatening coagulopathy. Defects in coagulation may be caused by dilution, hypothermia, acidosis, tissue damage or the effects of underlying disease.34,35

Dilution results from the transfusion of either crystalloid or colloid fluids, and occurs as the concentration of coagulation factors in the patient’s blood is diluted with the transfused fluid. It should be remembered that transfusion of red blood cells has the same effect, as whole blood or packed cells have undergone some dilution and have reduced viability of platelets.38 Hypothermia causes coagulopathy because many of the enzymatic reactions in coagulation are temperature-dependent. Platelet and thromboplastin function both decline with even moderate (34°C) hypothermia, while hypothermia stimulates fibrinolysis.34,40

Acidosis reduces the activity of both the extrinsic and the intrinsic coagulation pathways, as well as platelet function. This is particularly pronounced with a pH below 6.8.34 Tissue damage causes endothelial disruption and defibrination, which promote the systemic activation of coagulation; this is particularly profound in patients with brain injury due to the high level of thromboplastin in brain tissue.34,37,38 The final cause of coagulopathy in trauma is the underlying disease present in many patients. Patients may have a coagulation defect such as haemophilia or von Willebrand’s disease, or liver disease with resultant compromise to coagulation on an ongoing basis. Alternatively, patients may be taking anticoagulants, such as aspirin or warfarin, as treatment for other health conditions.37,41

Treatment of coagulopathy should focus first on prevention of coagulopathy and then on the treatment as required. Prevention strategies include:40

There is a strong need to ensure that patients are not overtransfused, and regular monitoring of coagulation factors including haematocrit, platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), thrombin time (TT) and fibrinogen levels will assist in achieving this aim. The international normalised ratio (INR) should be measured at the beginning of the process and repeated if abnormal.

Treatment includes transfusion of platelets, fresh frozen plasma (FFP) and cryoprecipitate, as well as the plasma derivatives showing promise in this area of treatment.35 While transfusion of platelets is specifically directed towards increasing the circulating concentration of platelets, administration of FFP is directed at increasing the levels of fibrinogen and other coagulation factors. Cryoprecipitate is made by freezing and thawing individual units of FFP and collecting the precipitate, a process that concentrates fibrinogen, von Willebrand factor, factor VIII and factor XIII.

Damage-control Surgery

Damage-control surgery can be defined as a four-stage procedure, involving early recognition of relevant patients and ‘rapid termination of an operation after control of life-threatening bleeding and contamination followed by correction of physiological abnormalities and definitive management’.42,43 This approach to surgical correction of traumatic injuries gained favour through the latter part of the 1990s and is intended to reduce the development of the triad of complications of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy. The intention is that surgery is initiated rapidly, only the most rapid and simplest interventions that are required to stop bleeding and contamination are undertaken, then surgery is completed and the patient moved to definitive care, usually in the ICU.42 Care can then be undertaken to ensure that hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy do not develop or, if present, are rapidly reversed, thereby ensuring correction of physiological abnormalities as quickly as possible. Definitive surgical correction of injuries is undertaken during the ensuing days when the patient is physiologically stable. Damage-control surgery can apply to a range of patients, including those with abdominal, skeletal and thoracic trauma.

Nursing a patient who undergoes damage-control surgery requires recognition of the principles and aims of the surgery, as well as flexibility in care of the patient after the initial surgery but before definitive surgery. In the emergency department setting there is a need to undertake a rapid, systematic evaluation of the patient and prepare him or her for rapid transfer to the operating room. It is essential to implement all measures possible to preclude the components of the trauma triad, while avoiding any delays to surgery. When the patient is admitted to the ICU postoperatively, the standard mechanisms for the treatment of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy, as discussed above, should be implemented. After damage-control surgery, patients may also have an open abdomen with temporary dressings, or skeletal fractures with external fixateurs in situ.

Skeletal Trauma

Skeletal trauma involves injury to the bony structure of the body. While skeletal injuries alone rarely result in the patient being admitted to critical care, damage to surrounding blood vessels and nerves, as well as potential complications such as fat embolism syndrome (FES) and rhabdomyolysis, may cause the patient to become seriously ill. Patients with skeletal trauma who require admission to ICU include those with multiple injuries, severe pelvic fractures (often associated with significant blood loss), long bone fractures (often associated with FES) and thoracic injuries such as flail segment. A small number of people with crush injuries that cause significant damage to muscles, often resulting in rhabdomyolysis, also require admission to the ICU.44,45

Skeletal trauma is the form of trauma that causes the highest number of patients to be admitted to hospital for 24 hours or more, with approximately 50% of patients experiencing a fracture as their main injury.28 Of those patients admitted to an ICU, fractures are the second most common type of injury (after head injury), with approximately 20% of patients experiencing this type of injury.

Pathophysiology

Bone is composed of an organic matrix as well as bone salts. The majority of the organic matrix is collagen fibres and the remainder is ground substance, a homogeneous gelatinous medium composed of extracellular fluid plus proteoglycans.46 Calcium and phosphate are the primary bone salts, although there are smaller amounts of magnesium, sodium, potassium and carbonate ions. These ions combine to form a crystal known as hydroxyapatite.

A fracture is simply defined as a break in the continuity of a bone. Fractures generally occur when there is force applied that exceeds the tensile or compressive strength of the bone. In patients sustaining a major injury (injury severity score [ISS] ≥16) fractures are the primary injury in more than 15% of cases, although many patients experience a fracture in addition to other serious injury resulting in ICU admission.28

Fractures are classified as either complete or incomplete. A complete fracture is where the bone is broken all the way through, while incomplete fractures only involve part of the bone. Fractures are also classified according to the direction of the fracture line, and include linear, oblique, spiral and transverse fractures.

A fracture causes disruption to the periosteum, blood vessels, marrow and surrounding soft tissue, resulting in a loss of mechanical integrity of the bone. Bone is one of only two sites (the other being the liver) that will reform itself, not forming scar tissue when it heals.47 When a fracture occurs, there is initial bleeding and soft tissue damage around the site, with haematoma formation within the medullary canal. The healing sequence that follows a fracture depends on the type of fracture fixation that is used. When a fracture is fixed in a method that eliminates the interfragmentary gap and provides stability to the site, such as in screwing or wiring, primary healing takes place. When a fracture is fixed in a manner that reduces but does not eliminate movement around the fracture site, secondary healing takes place.48

In primary healing, also referred to as direct union, the haematoma that initially formed is eliminated by the apposition of fracture ends during reduction. Once the bone ends are intact, osteoclasts form cutting cones that in turn form new haversian canals across the fracture gap. These contain blood vessels that are essential to primary bone healing. By 5–6 weeks after the fracture, osteoblasts will fill the canals with osteons, which are the basic structure of the new bone.47 Although the bone is now formed, the strength and shape continues to develop over coming weeks.

In contrast to primary healing, secondary healing is characterised by an intermediate phase, where a callus of connective tissue is first formed and then replaced by bone.47,49 The secondary healing phase begins with an inflammatory phase in which the haematoma clots and provides initial support, then inflammatory cells invade the haematoma to remove necrosed bone and debris. The reparative phase begins 1–2 weeks after the fracture and consists of immature woven bone being laid down and strengthened through a process known as mineralisation. The final remodelling stage consists of replacement of the woven bone by lamellar bone, through osteoblasts secreting osteoid that is mineralised and forms interstitial lamellae. The remodelling of these structures occurs in response to appropriate levels of mechanical loading during this phase.47,48

Fat embolism

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) may occur in patients who have experienced a fracture of a long bone, particularly if multiple fractures or fractures to the middle or proximal parts of the femur are experienced. Fractures to the pelvis can also lead to a fat embolism. Incidence of FES is low (<1%). FES consists of fat in the blood circulation associated with an identifiable pattern of clinical signs and symptoms that include hypoxaemia, neurological symptoms and a petechial rash.49 Patients generally present 12–48 hours after they have experienced a relevant fracture and often require admission to a critical care unit for assessment and treatment, including mechanical ventilation.

Internationally, there continues to be disagreement regarding the pathophysiological changes associated with FES, although there is general consensus on the following principles. It has been accepted that there is a mechanical component to the changes that take place in FES, where fat is physically forced into the venous system and causes physical obstruction of the vasculature. Although marrow pressure is normally 30–50 mmHg, it can be increased up to 600 mmHg during intramedullary reaming (the process where the medullary cavity of the bone is surgically enlarged to fit a surgical implant such as a tibial nail), consequently reaching a pressure significantly above pressures throughout the vasculature.49 A second theory, associated with the biochemical changes that occur during trauma, proposes that trauma is associated with a higher level of circulating free fatty acids, which cause destabilisation of circulating fats and/or direct toxicity to specific tissues, including pulmonary and vascular endothelium.49

Rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is the breakdown of muscle fibres resulting in the distribution of the cellular contents of the affected muscle throughout the circulation, and occurs during the reperfusion of injured muscle. The cellular contents that are circulated include potassium, phosphate, organic acids, myoglobin, creatine kinase and thromboplastin.44 Two phases of injury are essential for the development of rhabdomyolysis: the first is when muscle ischaemia occurs, and the second is with reperfusion of the injured muscle. The length of time that muscle is ischaemic affects the development of rhabdomyolysis, with periods of less than 2 hours generally not producing permanent damage, but periods above this time resulting in irreversible anatomical and functional changes.44 The clinical sequelae of rhabdomyolysis include electrolyte abnormalities such as hypocalcaemia, hyperkalaemia and acidosis, hypovolaemia, acute renal failure and multiorgan failure.

Clinical Manifestations

Common forms of skeletal trauma include the following:

Long bone fractures. The long bones are the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia and fibula. Fractures of these bones are serious and can carry a high level of morbidity, especially if they involve a joint such as a trimalleolar fracture of the ankle (distal tibia and fibula). In many cases definitive surgical management is required, with internal fixation.

Dislocations. All joints are at risk of traumatic dislocation, depending on the mechanism of injury. Dislocations can be limb-threatening if they cause neurovascular compromise. Reduction of traumatic dislocation is a medical emergency.

Open fractures (compound). Any break in the skin that communicates directly with the fracture is classified as an open fracture. Open fractures carry a higher infection risk and require surgical treatment within 8 hours.50,51

Traumatic amputation. Amputation refers to an avulsion in which the affected limb or body appendage is completely separated from the body. This can occur when a digit or extremity is sheared off by either mechanical or severing forces, for example amputation of a thumb by a bandsaw. Traumatic amputations vary in severity and ongoing compromise, with a cleancut amputation more likely to be successfully reattached than a crushed extremity. Criteria that inform the surgical decision-making process include the amount of tissue loss, location on the body at the connection site, damage to underlying and surrounding tissues, bones, nerves, tendons/muscles and vessels, and condition of the amputated part.

Fractures of the pelvis. The pelvis is the largest combined bony structure in the body and serves to provide an essential supporting framework for ambulation and protection of pelvic organs. Major blood vessels and nerves traverse the pelvic bones, supplying the lower limbs and pelvic organs. Therefore, injury to any part of the pelvis is serious. The three bones that comprise the pelvic ring are the two innominate bones (ilium and pubic rami) and the sacrum. Due to its reinforced structure, the amount of force required to fracture the pelvis is substantial. Fractures of the pelvis can affect one or both sides of the pelvis, and be stable or unstable. A variety of classification systems exist to describe the severity of pelvic fractures, the most common being the Tile classification (see Figure 23.2).

Fractures of the spinal column. (see also Chapter 17). The spinal column includes all of the bony components in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebral regions. Fractures of the vertebra are common in trauma patients, but the actual incidence of fracture without spinal cord injury in multitrauma patients is not well described. Not all fractures cause vertebral column instability with the subsequent risk of spinal cord damage. A spine column fracture will be diagnosed as mechanically stable or unstable and this will affect the positioning and possible activity of the patient.

Discoligamentous injuries of the spinal columns (see also Chapter 17). The soft tissue components of the spinal column include the spinal cord, the inter-vertebral discs and the spinal ligaments. An injury to the spinal column can disrupt one or more of these structures with or without fracture. These injuries can be highly unstable and the nurse must be vigilant with spinal precautions and the fitting and management of the patient requiring a spine orthoses (refer to Figure 23.1).

Nursing Practice

There are several major considerations for the nurse managing the critically ill patient with skeletal trauma. These include appropriate assessment as well as application of traction, management of any amputated parts and stabilisation of pelvic fractures and spine precautions. These latter aspects of care will be conducted in collaboration with medical and allied health colleagues.

Independent practice

Bones are very vascular structures and can be the cause of substantial blood loss in the trauma patient. The critical care nurse should therefore be cognisant of the potential for extensive blood loss in common fractures (see Table 23.3).

TABLE 23.3 Potential blood loss caused by fractures76

Fracture Blood loss (mL)
Humerus 500–1500
Elbow 250–750
Radius/ulna 250–500
Pelvis 500–3000
Femur 500–3000
Tibia/fibula 250–2000
Ankle 250–1000

Given the potential for extensive blood loss, as well as the frequent close proximity of nerves and blood vessels to bones, neurovascular assessment of the patient with skeletal trauma is essential (see Table 23.4).

TABLE 23.4 Neurovascular observations of the skeletal trauma patient
Should be undertaken on all injured limbs both pre- and postoperatively as required

Observation Process Comments
Skin colour State the skin colour of the area inspected as it compares with the unaffected part.
NB: Distal limb pulses may be difficult to palpate in the injured limb; a warm pink limb is a perfused limb.
Pink: normal perfusion
Pale: reduced perfusion
Dusky, purple or cyanotic discolouration: usually indicating significantly reduced perfusion
Demarcated: a distinct line where the skin colour changes to dusky (usually follows the vessel path)
Skin temperature to touch State the ambient temperature of the skin to touch as it compares with normally perfused skin at room temperature. Normal: not discernibly cold to touch. Reduced skin temperature indicates reduced perfusion.
Voluntary movement The patient should be able to move the non-immobilised distal part of any injured limb (i.e. fingers and toes of a plastered limb). It is important to assess range of motion where that is possible, provided this will not aggravate the injury. Reduced movement may indicate compromise to either the nerve or blood supply to the limb.
Sensation The patient should be able to report normal sensation to touch. Sensation should be assessed in nerve distributions (i.e. all fingers and toes). Reduced sensation may indicate compromise to either the nerve or blood supply to the limb.

Collaborative practice: splinting

One of the major emergent management strategies for haemorrhage control in the patient with skeletal trauma is splinting. Splinting is a potentially lifesaving intervention and is generally undertaken by nursing staff. The purpose of splinting is to align and immobilise the bone, which alone has remarkable haemorrhage control properties. Every fractured bone that has not undergone definitive orthopaedic management requires splinting. Examples of intermediate stabilisation of fractures include:

Positioning of injured limbs. All patients who have any form of splint in situ should not have the affected limb below the level of the patient’s body, and may need to have it elevated to promote venous return and minimise tissue oedema. In the ICU the trauma patient will often be nursed flat, with the bed on tilt for a head-elevation position. In these circumstances, the injured dependent limb must be elevated on pillows so that it is no longer dependent. Care must be taken to ensure that elevation does not place pressure on any part of the limb: for example, a hand sack made from a pillowcase tied to an IV pole should not be used, as it places direct pressure on the path of the median nerve and can cause an iatrogenic neurapraxia.

Wooden/air splints. These are padded appliances that are strapped to the injured limb. Ideally, no patient should remain in wooden splints for longer than 4 hours, as pressure may build up on pressure points.

Plaster backslab. Limbs with fractures will often swell as a physiological response to injury; a plaster backslab composed of layered Plaster of Paris is the preferred treatment, as it accommodates swelling and can easily be loosened by nursing staff at any time of day. It is imperative that this be adequately padded within the limitations of providing structural support to the limb. Poorly made or ill-fitting backslabs can cause major complications, such as pressure sores or displacement of fractures.

Traction. Traction may be required as part of fracture management, and involves the application of a pulling force to fractured or dislocated bones. There are three types of traction:

The principles of traction are to achieve the goal of alignment of bones whilst preventing complications. Remember that incorrectly-applied traction is painful and can exacerbate the injury. The following should guide management of the patient with traction:

Collaborative practice: traumatic amputations

Traumatic amputation is the separation of a limb or appendage from the body. During the prehospital phase it is hoped that any amputated body part will have been wrapped in a clean or sterile (if available) cloth. This should then have been placed in a plastic, waterproof bag and placed into an insulated cooler with ice. It is important that the ice does not come into direct contact with the amputated part. When managed using these principles, the amputated part may be viable for up to 6–12 hours before reattachment. Depending on any additional injuries, and the cardiovascular status of the patient, surgery for limb salvage will be scheduled as soon as possible.

Postoperative management will be guided by the type of surgery that was performed, specifically whether or not amputation occurred. Principles of postoperative care include:

Collaborative practice: pelvic stabilisation

Pelvic fractures can be uncomplicated and require no surgical intervention, or they can be serious enough to be the primary cause of death from exsanguination. Appropriate assessment and management of pelvic fractures is a major consideration for the management of any trauma patient.

The initial management of the patient with a fractured pelvis involves assessment and splinting. Assessment should encompass the following two aspects:45,51

The orthopaedic surgeon may elect to undertake further clinical assessments incorporating ‘springing’ of the pelvis, although it should be noted that this may aggravate the injury. Nursing staff would not normally conduct such assessment, unless under appropriate specialist guidance in a setting such as remote area trauma nursing or telehealth consultation.

Non-invasive pelvic binding, in the form of either a bedsheet or a proprietary pelvic binder, may make a significant impact on patient morbidity and mortality.45,51 Such a manoeuvre will stabilise the pelvis and assist in approximating bleeding vessels, thereby assisting in haemostasis (see Figure 23.3).

image

FIGURE 23.3 Application of a pelvic binder

(Courtesy SAM Medical Products).

Pelvic binders are temporary devices,45,51 and ideally will not be left in situ for longer than 4 hours. If a patient is to remain in the binder longer than 4 hours, nursing staff must take care to minimise pressure. Conscious patients should be advised to report signs of increasing pressure, such as positional paraesthesia. Increasing abdominal swelling may indicate a need to reposition the binder. Position restrictions should be clarified by all members of the healthcare team, especially if the patient will be in the binder for a lengthy period. The patient may be able to be log-rolled and side-lain with a pelvic binder in situ. Release of a pelvic binder should by undertaken only with caution and as part of definitive care (e.g. within the operating theatre), with all relevant members (particularly the orthopaedic or trauma surgeon) of the healthcare team present.

Invasive pelvic fixation uses an external fixateur (see Figure 23.4) to achieve pelvic stabilisation.45,51 The application of an external bridging frame (either anterior or posterior) to stabilise the pelvis may be an interim or definitive treatment measure that may be in situ for days or weeks. Patients in external fixation may be permitted to mobilise, although the extent of mobilisation will depend on the stability of the fracture. While the external fixateur is in place, the following nursing care is required:

Pelvic embolisation involves interventional radiology to control haemorrhage in patients with pelvic fractures. Because of the large arteries that traverse the pelvis, arterial bleeding can be the cause of substantial blood loss in 10–20% of cases.45,51 The timing of embolisation, particularly in relation to stabilisation, remains controversial.45,51,55

Collaborative practice: spine orthoses

The cervical collar or orthosis is the most commonly used splint to immobilise the cervical spine. It commonly remains in situ for >24 hours in an ICU setting. This particular type of splinting is associated with an increased risk of pressure ulceration in immobile patients.32 Collar care is an essential component of critical care practice. Any dirt, grit, glass and road grime must be removed as soon as possible from under the collar, particularly in the occipital regions. The patient should side-lie as much as possible and the collar should be removed while maintaining spinal precautions (see Table 23.5) and the underlying skin integrity assessed at least every 8 hours.52 Other examples of spine orthoses include a halothoracic brace and thoracolumbar/truncal anti-flexion bracing.

Chest Trauma

Chest trauma is recognised as a severe, potentially life-threatening form of injury that may require admission to the critical care areas. Chest trauma may be blunt in nature, often being experienced during road traffic crashes and can be associated with injuries to other areas of the body or penetrating in nature. It is often experienced during gunshot or stabbing injuries.

Chest trauma represents approximately 10% of injuries that require admission to hospital for more than 24 hours,28 although this proportion grows to over 15% when only patients with major injury (injury severity score >15) are considered.28,53 Chest trauma also represents approximately 15% of the injured patients requiring admission to the ICU.28 The incidence of chest trauma varies, depending on the external cause of the injury, with approximately 20% of road traffic crash injuries occurring to the chest, 30% of stabbing injuries occurring to the chest and only 10–15% of assault and fall injuries occurring to the chest.54 Associated mortality ranges from 4% to 9%.28,55

Description

Chest trauma covers a broad array of injuries and severity, and ranges from relatively minor injuries (e.g. abrasions and fracture of a single rib) to major, immediately life-threatening injuries (e.g. cardiac rupture or tension pneumothorax). Chest trauma is often associated with injuries to other regions of the body, including the head, neck, spine, abdomen and limbs.57

Chest trauma includes:

rib fractures: a very common form of chest trauma, often a source of severe pain and often associated with other injuries such as haemothorax, pneumothorax and pulmonary contusion.57

flail chest: fractures to two or more ribs, in two or more places, resulting in a freely-moving section of the rib cage. Usually such fractures occur in the anterior or lateral sections of the rib cage, where there is less muscle protection. The significant impact of this injury is paradoxical movement of the flail segment during spontaneous ventilation, so that when a patient inspires, the flail segment moves inwards with the negative intrapleural pressure instead of expanding with the rib cage. Compromised respiratory function is caused by the increased work of breathing that this ineffective flail segment creates, as well as the contused lung that normally occurs underneath the flail segment.57

diaphragmatic injuries: generally consist of diaphragmatic rupture when there has been a significant rise in intra-abdominal pressure, usually with compression injuries. When the rupture is sufficiently large, protrusion of the abdominal contents into the thoracic space, resulting in respiratory compromise, is likely.58

pulmonary contusion: consists of bruising to the lung tissue, usually as a result of mechanical force. This bruising is followed by diffuse haemorrhage and interstitial and alveolar oedema, resulting in impaired gas exchange.57,59

pneumothorax: the accumulation of air in the pleural space. A pneumothorax may be closed (no contact with the external atmosphere) or open (a communicating channel with the atmosphere).57 Closed pneumothoraces are generally caused by blunt chest trauma and result from a fractured rib puncturing the lung parenchyma. Open pneumothoraces generally occur in the setting of penetrating trauma, where air is able to move from the external atmosphere to the pleural space during inspiration. If not all of the inspired air is able to escape during expiration, due to a tissue flap or similar obstruction covering the opening, the volume of the pneumothorax will gradually expand and cause collapse of the adjacent lung, with resultant hypoxaemia. Where air is not able to escape at all from the pleural space, this is referred to as a tension pneumothorax, and rapidly becomes a life-threatening event due to the increasing pressure on the lungs, heart and trachea.

haemothorax: the accumulation of blood in the pleural space. Blood may collect from the chest wall, the lung parenchyma or major thoracic vessels.57 Breath sounds are usually reduced on the side of the haemothorax. Small haemothoraces (<200 mL blood) may not be apparent on clinical or radiological investigation, although respiratory compromise is likely to be present.

cardiac trauma: encompasses a number of different injuries, ranging from relatively mild bruising of the heart muscle to rupture of the heart wall, septum or valves or damage to the coronary arteries.57 The right side of the heart is most commonly injured, probably as a result of the anterior placement of this side of the heart in the thorax.

aortic injuries: generally, injuries to the brachiocephalic, left subclavian or right subclavian branches of the aorta and associated with high mortality at the scene.57

tracheobronchial injuries: tend to occur as a result of direct blunt trauma and in close proximity to the carina, but are relatively rare.60

Clinical Manifestations

Injuries to the thoracic cavity can manifest according to the structures and systems involved (see Table 23.6). When multiple organs and systems are involved, the combined injuries pose an increased threat to life.

TABLE 23.6 Clinical manifestations of chest trauma

System Manifestation Clinical signs and symptoms
Respiratory

Any sign of respiratory compromise, noting that serial observations are an important indicator of imminent decompensation

Cardiovascular

Circulatory insufficiency resulting in decreased tissue perfusion Gastrointestinal

Perforation and contamination of mediastinum Systemic

May occur in response to injury of a vessel that traverses an air space; manifestations will vary depending on location and associated injuries Varied depending on location, but may include:

Nursing Practice

Given the underlying structures of heart, lungs and great vessels, chest trauma can cause rapid deterioration in the patient. Ongoing and thorough assessment, particularly in relation to the signs and symptoms outlined in Table 23.6, is essential. Other essential aspects of care include patient positioning and management of pain relief.

Independent practice: assessment

Initial assessment in the emergency department should be conducted on an ongoing basis, with formal documentation of these findings occurring every few minutes until stabilisation. The frequency of ongoing assessment will then be based on the patient’s condition, but is likely to be needed every 15 minutes initially, reducing to hourly with transfer to the critical care unit. Signs of chest trauma that represent life-threatening emergencies include the following.

image

FIGURE 23.5 Right tension pneumothorax

(Courtesy The Alfred, Melbourne).

Independent practice: pain relief

The principles of managing pain in chest trauma patients are similar to those for other patients, although the potential severity of pain, particularly as a result of fractured ribs, should not be underestimated. Effective pain management in the chest trauma patient is a major determinant of maintaining adequate spontaneous breathing. Avoiding mechanical ventilation is a major goal in the less-severe group of chest trauma patients, so effective deep-breathing and coughing must be promoted. Pain relief will normally include IV opioids, but may also include intercostal or epidural analgesia and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents in selected patients (see Chapter 7). Non-pharmacological means such as the use of supplemental oxygen, use of cold packs early and heat packs late in the treatment course, massage, relaxation and diversion techniques should also be considered. Providing and maintaining a comfortable posture for the patient that includes the elevation and support of injured limbs has remarkable analgesic properties. A confident, competent and efficient nurse that engenders trust from both the patient and family is very comforting.

Collaborative practice: surgical management of injury

Surgical intervention in the chest trauma patient is generally limited to repair of tears and lacerations, for example repair of vessel injuries including aortic rupture, lung lacerations, heart injuries including lacerations and valvular injury. A ruptured diaphragm or oesophageal perforation will also be repaired surgically.

The emergency thoracotomy has proven beneficial in a select group of patients with penetrating trauma and less than 15 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation; however, it is generally recognised as not providing benefit in patients with blunt chest trauma.61 While different techniques are used in different settings, the main access to the thoracic cavity is via a left thoracotomy, a midline sternotomy or a ‘clam shell’ incision. Initial assessment of the patient is used to determine the need for a thoracotomy in either the emergency department or the operating room. Nurses working in a trauma reception facility that has the capacity for emergency thoracotomy should be familiar with the equipment and process for this procedure. Postoperative nursing care of these patients should follow the same principles as those for patients who have undergone routine cardiothoracic surgery.

Collaborative practice: chest drainage

When injury to the pleura occurs, air or blood collects between the two layers of the pleura, causing collapse of the underlying area of lung and loss of the negative intrapleural pressure. Insertion of an intercostal catheter drains the air and/or blood from between the pleura, resulting in reinstatement of the negative intrapleural pressure and reinflation of the underlying lung.

A central principle in the treatment of chest trauma is the use of the intercostal catheter (ICC) for chest drainage purposes. The principles of chest drainage include:

Care of the chest trauma patient with intercostal drainage is directed towards ensuring sterility and patency of the system, assessing the amount and type of drainage, as well as the impact on the patient (see Table 23.7). Additional considerations include the following:

TABLE 23.7 Assessment of chest drainage

Characteristic Description
Water seal Ensure there is sufficient water in the water seal chamber.
Bubbling Continued bubbling indicates an air leak.
Drainage Observe the nature and volume of fluid exudate (NB: >1500 mL stat or 200/mL/hour for 2–4 hours; surgical exploration may be required.
Patency Ensure the intercostal catheter is not blocked, remove any blood clots.
Swinging Oscillation of fluid in the ICC confirms patency, as this reflects the changes in intrapleural pressure with respiration; such oscillation should continue even when the lung has re-expanded.
Suction If suction is ordered, check the appropriate level is being delivered.

Abdominal Trauma

Any organ or structure in the abdominal cavity can be injured. Abdominal trauma presents unique challenges to clinicians due to the abdominal cavity’s high diversity of organs and structures. The morbidity and mortality associated with abdominal injuries are high, so the need for early, accurate diagnosis and treatment is paramount. Abdominal trauma accounts for approximately 15% of all trauma deaths, with haemorrhage being the major cause in the first 48 hours. Latent trauma deaths after abdominal injury are usually related to sepsis and complications.

Recent advances in diagnostic and treatment techniques for abdominal trauma have seen an increased emphasis on non-operative management for solid organ injury, with more recent increases in the use of angioembolisation. These two clinical treatment innovations place an emphasis on excellent patient monitoring and, in some instances, higher ICU utilisation for selected cases.62,63

Patients who experience abdominal trauma as their main injury comprise only 3–5% of injured patients requiring admission to ICU, although up to a quarter of trauma patients experience some form of abdominal injury.28 Of all patients who present to the emergency department with serious injury, approximately 15–20% have abdominal injury.26

Pathophysiology

The abdominal cavity consists of a range of tissues and organ structures, including musculoskeletal, solid and hollow organs, vessels and nerves. Musculoskeletal structures include the major abdominal muscle groups forming the abdominal wall, as well as the lumbar vertebrae and pelvis. Solid organs include the liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys and adrenal glands (and ovaries in women). Hollow organs include the stomach, small and large intestines, gallbladder and bladder (and uterus in women). Finally, the vessels and nerves include a complex array of all abdominal blood vessels (arterial and venous), lymphatics, and nerves including neural plexuses and the spinal cord. Traumatic abdominal injuries are classified as being extraperitoneal, intraperitoneal and/or retroperitoneal. Importantly, a patient can have any mix or multiples of these. The classification of injury guides clinical decision making.

The pathophysiology of abdominal trauma is largely related to the structure(s) injured. Careful serial assessments are essential to identify changing clinical manifestations. The most common clinical manifestation of abdominal trauma is haemorrhage and/or signs of an acute abdomen, such as pain, tenderness, rigidity and bruising. Importantly, these are life-threatening signs and require immediate surgical intervention.

The most significant sign of abdominal trauma in the conscious patient is pain. Where hollow viscus perforation has occurred, such as bruising across the area of the abdominal seatbelt, small bowel perforation may be present. These patients are characterised by pain out of proportion to that expected with superficial abdominal wall contusions. Other signs of abdominal trauma can be related to the structure that has been injured. For example, haematuria demonstrates trauma to some part of the urinary tract, including the kidneys.

Description

The abdomen is susceptible to injury from a variety of external causes, both blunt and penetrating (see discussion of penetrating injuries below). A key aspect to remember with any abdominal injury is that the superficial injury does not always reflect what lies below. For example, it is not possible to be certain of the trajectory that a bullet took after it passed through the skin.

Secondary injury: abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS)

The abdominal viscera are highly vascular and subject to vascular engorgement during massive fluid resuscitation. Where this occurs, there is an acute rise in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). In severe cases, the IAP will rise to the point where cardiorespiratory function is compromised. This is a surgical emergency and the abdominal cavity requires decompression immediately. The incidence of ACS is difficult to determine because of the different assessment and measurement techniques that exist, but has been reported to be between 1% and 33%.65

High IAP can have effects on multiple systems throughout the body, as follows:65,66

A high level of suspicion for ACS should be retained for all patients with abdominal trauma as well as those who have had abdominal surgery for other reasons. Clinical examination, looking for a distended and firm abdomen, is insensitive in the early stages of ACS; however, these signs should be identified if ACS progresses to a late state. Proactive detection of ACS is more effectively carried out through the use of routine IAP measurements in all patients who have the potential to develop ACS. While agreement as to the precise levels of IAP that indicate ACS is yet to be achieved, there is widespread agreement that values above approximately 20 mmHg require investigation; and pressures above 25 mmHg, in association with other clinically relevant findings such as firm or distended abdomen and the systemic effects outlined above, often indicate a need for urgent surgery.65,66

IAP can be measured directly by laparoscopy, but is more effectively measured on an ongoing basis, either intermittently or continuously, via an indirect technique of measuring bladder pressures. IAP measurements are achieved using an indwelling urinary catheter with a pressure transducer or manometer levelled to the midaxillary line and attached via a T piece to allow continuous sterile access.67 According to the World Society of the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome Guidelines, intermittent measurements are obtained as follows:67

There is some evidence that accurate IAP measurements can be obtained on a continuous basis using a three-way catheter.67 The benefits of this method include the provision of a continuous measurement as well as the absence of instillation of additional fluid into the bladder. The primary disadvantage is the potential for inaccuracy, depending on the volume of urine in the bladder.

Nursing Practice

Recent trends have seen an increasing use of nonoperative care of patients with abdominal injury. In these patients, monitoring for deterioration is essential, as is the ability to activate surgery and care for patients accordingly.

Independent practice

With the high use of nonoperative management techniques for solid organ injury, the role of monitoring of patients with abdominal trauma is pivotal. Nurses must be cognisant of the clinical signs of abdominal injury, especially haemorrhage, and act on these immediately (see Table 23.8). Specific aspects of nursing care for patients after abdominal trauma include pain management, monitoring and postoperative care. Abdominal trauma patients will often experience severe pain, as a result of both the primary trauma and any surgical intervention for repair (see Chapter 7).

TABLE 23.8 Common signs of abdominal injury83

Sign Description Suspected injury
Grey Turner’s sign Blueish discolouration of the lower abdomen and flanks 6–24 hours after onset of bleeding Retroperitoneal haemorrhage
Kehr’s sign Left shoulder tip pain caused by diaphragmatic irritation Splenic injury, although can be associated with any intra-abdominal bleeding
Cullen’s sign Bluish discolouration around the umbilicus Pancreatic injury, although can be associated with any peritoneal bleeding
Coopernail’s sign Ecchymosis of scrotum or labia Pelvic fracture or pelvic organ injury

Vital sign monitoring is a mainstay of nursing management in patients with abdominal trauma, and all patients should have appropriate monitoring (as outlined in trauma reception). It is also essential that all patients receive a urinalysis after incurring abdominal trauma in order to identify trauma to the urinary system.

Where the patient has undergone a trauma laparotomy, postoperative care is standard as for any patient who has undergone an abdominal surgical procedure. The specific nursing care elements will depend on what organ has been injured and the surgical procedure that has been undertaken to repair the injury. Careful attention must be paid to those general nursing care elements that all patients require (see Chapter 6).

Postoperative feeding and bowel care should be discussed with the healthcare team and plans made early to avoid delays and adverse events such as constipation (see Chapter 19 for principles of feeding). A paralytic ileus is a common manifestation of the critically-ill abdominal trauma patient. Ensuring that the gut is decompressed, with a functional enterogastric tube that is correctly positioned, is essential. Because constipation is a common problem, early intervention and implementation of a bowel-care protocol for trauma should be considered (see Chapter 6).

Collaborative practice: abdominal computed tomography

Abdominal computed tomography (CT) is recognised as having high sensitivity and specificity in the setting of abdominal trauma and is therefore accepted as a diagnostic mainstay in this group of patients, particularly for blunt trauma. The main exception to this is where the results of a FAST examination are positive and the patient is taken to surgery urgently. Abdominal CT is used less often in patients with penetrating trauma, primarily due to its lower sensitivity in diagnosing the hollow visceral injuries common in penetrating trauma.22 An important pitfall for CT imaging in abdominal trauma occurs when the patient has arrived at the scanner so quickly after the injury that major blood loss is not apparent and the extent of the injury is missed or underevaluated. A high index of suspicion in the setting of a negative CT and extensive abdominal trauma should remain, particularly if signs of shock develop.

Debate currently exists as to the role of oral contrast in the trauma patient who must remain supine and immobilised in a cervical collar. It is essential that nursing assessment for the risk of aspiration be conducted, and to be prepared to manage the vomiting patient. Any supine patient given radiographic contrast should not be left unattended, and there should be sufficient staff available at short notice to roll the patient onto their side if he/she vomits. The healthcare team should discuss the risk of vomiting prior to ordering the test so that an informed decision can be made regarding the risk–benefit ratio on an individual case basis. Oral contrast has been demonstrated to be highly effective in revealing hollow viscus injury, and therefore has a place in the diagnostic evaluation of abdominal trauma.

Collaborative practice: laparotomy/laparoscopy

The role of diagnostic operations such as laparotomy/laparoscopy is well described in the literature,22 and is essential to aid diagnosis (laparoscopy) and provide appropriate treatment to control haemorrhage and repair organ injury (laparotomy). When this procedure is considered appropriate, rapid transit to the operating room should be undertaken. As the consequences of missed or delayed diagnosis of abdominal injury can be catastrophic for the patient, opening the peritoneal cavity to exclude injury in selected cases is a necessity.

Specific Abdominal Injuries: Spleen

The spleen is the solid organ most commonly injured in blunt trauma.62 Its location (under the ribs) also makes it vulnerable to secondary injury from fractured ribs. Splenic injury should always be suspected in those patients who have sustained a direct blow to the abdomen, as it is a large organ. Signs of splenic injury are generally pain over the left upper quadrant. There may be no changes to vital sign parameters until the patient has incurred significant circulating blood loss. Splenic injury is categorised in a scale consisting of five levels; this scale is designed to aid classification for management and research purposes62 (see Table 23.9).

TABLE 23.9 Spleen injury scale62

  Grade* Injury description
I Haematoma Subcapsular, <10% surface area
Laceration Capsular tear, <1 cm parenchymal depth
II Haematoma Subcapsular, 10–50% surface area
Intraparenchymal, <5 cm in diameter
Laceration Parenchymal depth 1–3 cm not involving a trabecular vessel
III Haematoma Subcapsular, >50% surface area or expanding;
Ruptured subcapsular or parenchymal haematoma
Intraparenchymal haematoma >5 cm or expanding
Laceration Parenchymal depth >3 cm or involving trabecular vessels
IV Laceration Laceration involving segmental or hilar vessels producing major devascularisation (>25% of spleen)
V Laceration Completely shattered spleen
Vascular Hilar vascular injury that devascularises spleen

* Advance one grade for multiple injuries, up to grade III.

The spleen has an immunological function that is not well understood. After splenectomy, patients are at increased risk of infection and therefore require careful education regarding lifelong risks. The role of immunisation after splenectomy is very important, and the patient must be counselled regarding the necessity for follow-up on immunisations.68 Prior to discharge from the hospital, the patient should be administered the first round of immunisations. The current recommendation for predischarge immunisations include:

The patient will also be commenced on antibiotic prophylaxis and should be advised to wear a medi-alert disk or card and consult specialist travel advice when travelling.69

Specific Abdominal Injuries: Liver

The liver is a vital organ, with liver failure being a fatal condition unless reversible. After the spleen, the liver is the next most common solid organ injured. Any injury to this highly vascular organ is serious and requires surgical review. As the largest abdominal solid organ traversing the midline, the liver is susceptible to injury from any external forces applied to the abdomen, for example seatbelt injuries and abdominal blows from an assault. The liver is also at risk of secondary injury from fractured ribs.62 Liver injuries are graded using the six-level liver injury scale (see Table 23.10). The treatment of liver injuries is largely dependent on the nature of the injury or injuries to the liver itself, presence of concomitant injuries, premorbid status and overall injury severity. The treatment options may also be guided by the services and expertise that your health agency can offer the patient.

TABLE 23.10 Liver injury scale62

  Grade* Injury description
I Haematoma Subcapsular, <10% surface area
Laceration Capsular tear, <1 cm parenchymal depth
II Haematoma Subcapsular, 10%–50% surface area
Intraparenchymal, <10 cm in diameter
Laceration Parenchymal depth 1–3 cm, <10 cm in length
III Haematoma Subcapsular, >50% surface area or expanding
Ruptured subcapsular or parenchymal haematoma
Laceration Parenchymal depth >3 cm
IV Laceration Parenchymal disruption involving 25–75% of hepatic lobe or 1–3 Couinaud’s segments within a single lobe
V Laceration Parenchymal disruption involving >75% of hepatic lobe or >3 Couinaud’s segments within a single lobe
Vascular Juxtahepatic venous injuries; i.e. retrohepatic vena cava/central major hepatic veins
VI Vascular Hepatic avulsion

* Advance one grade for multiple injuries, up to grade III.

The overwhelming aim of the management of liver injuries is to preserve liver function. This is achieved by controlling haemorrhage, resting the patient and close monitoring. Most liver injuries can be managed nonoperatively. In these cases it is imperative that the patient be closely monitored for signs of haemorrhage and that the capacity for laparotomy is available at short notice if required. In some cases, embolisation may be considered for arterial haemorrhage.62 Late complications of liver injury include infection, haematoma, bile leak and late haemorrhage.

Penetrating Injuries

Trauma is broadly categorised according to whether the external cause of injury was blunt or penetrating. Penetrating trauma refers to a mechanism of injury where the skin has been cut through the insertion of a foreign object. The most common examples include knife and gunshot wounds, although solid objects such as fences, signposts and tools can cause penetrating trauma. Penetrating trauma is significantly different from blunt trauma in that the injury is largely localised to a single body region. Exceptions to this may occur, for example, with firearm wounds if there are multiple bullet-entry wounds or multiple knife-stab sites.

Care must be taken when caring for patients with penetrating injury to prevent injury to staff. This is particularly important when the patient presents with a knife in situ or a large, protruding foreign object in their body. It should also be noted that some penetrating trauma occurs as a result of a criminal act, and it is essential to observe rules governing forensic evidence. Police should be notified by the senior clinician involved in providing care.

Burns

Recent improvements in both shock and sepsis management have resulted in patients with severe and extensive burn injuries spending long periods of time in the critical care environment. Burn injuries occur as a result of thermal, electrical or chemical injury and cause both local and systemic changes to a patient. An understanding of these changes will assist with planning appropriate care for this group of patients.

In recent years, improved survival, reduced hospital length of stay and a decrease in morbidity and mortality has been seen in burns patients. This is primarily due to a better understanding of burns pathophysiology and advancements in care that include improvements in resuscitation protocols, improved respiratory support, management of the hypermetabolic response, rigid infection control monitoring, early excision and burn wound closure, use of skin substitutes and early nutritional support.

Burn injuries are highly variable and individual injuries affect all ages and social groups. In general terms, assessment is based on the size, depth and anatomical site of the injury, mechanism of injury and the presence of coexisting conditions. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 300,000 deaths are fire-related every year, the majority occurring in developing countries.70

Burn injuries occur as a result of thermal, electrical or chemical injury and cause both local and systemic changes to a patient. An understanding of these changes will assist with planning appropriate care for this group of patients. All patients with a serious burn injury should be referred to a specialised burns unit that is staffed and equipped appropriately to manage burns. The Australian and New Zealand Burns Association (ANZBA) criteria outline which burns patients require treatment in a specialised burns unit (see Box 23.1).

Pathophysiology

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and accounts for 15% of its weight. The skin has multiple purposes, including protection from infection, regulation of body heat and functioning as a vapour barrier.

The skin consists of three layers: the epidermis, the dermis and subcutaneous tissue.68 The epidermis is the outer layer, and is composed of stratified epithelial cells that protect against infection and conserve moisture. This layer is characterised by having regenerative ability. The dermis, as the middle layer, is between 1 and 4 mm thick, although thinner in the elderly and the very young. It is composed of an outer papillary dermis and an inner reticular dermis, and supplies nutrients to the epidermis. The dermis contains all the accessory structures including blood vessels, nerve endings, the sweat and sebaceous glands and the hair follicles. The dermis itself does not have regenerative ability, but because the glands, vessels and follicles are lined with epidermis, burns that involve this layer may still regenerate. The innermost layer, the subcutaneous tissue, consists of adipose and connective tissue. This layer has no regenerative ability.

Metabolic system

Immunological system

Inhalation injury

The presence of an inhalation injury will increase mortality and morbidity in people with a dermal burn injury.71,72 Inhalation injury consists of three components that may occur independently but often occur simultaneously, and include heat injury to the upper airways, effects of smoke on the respiratory system and inhalation of toxic gases.71 Diagnosis of an inhalation burn injury remains problematic, but it should be suspected if the injury was sustained in a closed spaced as well as if there are facial burns, singed nasal hairs or carbonaceous debris in the mouth or pharynx or in the sputum.71 The specific changes are dependent on the type of substances inhaled at the time of injury. In addition, the size of the smoke particles that are inhaled will affect the location of any injury. If coarse smoke particles are inhaled, these will primarily be deposited in the upper tracheobronchial tree, whilst fine smoke particles will usually be lodged in the alveoli. Patients with inhalation burn injury will usually experience upper airway oedema and bronchospasm in the early stages, with the airway disease progressing to the small airways in subsequent days.71,72,75

Clinical Manifestations

The most prominent clinical manifestations of burn injury are the dermal signs of injury. ANZBA categorise burns as follows:74

1. Epidermal burns are limited to injury to the epidermis and tend to be very painful, with a common example being sunburn. The skin is pink to red in colour and remains intact. The surrounding tissues may be oedematous and there is no blistering. This burn injury will usually heal within 7 days.

2. Superficial partial-thickness burn injury involve the epidermal and superficial dermal layers and are generally red or mottled in appearance and the underlying skin will blanch with pressure, demonstrating that perfusion is intact; blisters are a hallmark symptom. This degree of burn injury is very painful and healing may take up to 14 days. There is usually a lot of wound exudate in the first 72 hours where the skin is broken.

3. Mid-dermal partial-thickness injuries extend a part way into the dermis. They have a large zone of damaged non-viable tissue extending into the dermis, with damaged but viable tissue at the base. Preservation of the damaged but viable tissue (particularly in the initial period following injury) is pivotal to preventing burn wound progression. As some of the nerve endings remain viable, pain is present but is less severe when compared to superficial burns. Similarly, as some of the capillaries remain viable, capillary return is present, albeit delayed. Blisters may be present and the underlying dermis is a variable colour (pale to dark pink).

4. Deep partial-thickness burns extend into the deep dermal layer. The tissue is a characteristic pink to pale ivory in appearance. It can also have a blotchy red base due to extravasation of red blood cells. The underlying tissue does not blanch and the hair is easily removed; sensation is reduced. These burns usually take in excess of 3 weeks to heal and are managed with surgical excision and closure.

5. Full-thickness burns destroy both layers of skin (epidermis and dermis) and may penetrate more deeply into underlying structures. These burns have a dense white, waxy or even charred appearance. The sensory nerves in the dermis are destroyed in a full thickness burn, and so sensation to pinprick is lost. The coagulated dead skin of a full thickness burn, which has a leathery appearance, is called eschar.

Nursing Practice

Care can be considered in two categories; the first is the immediate priorities of care (outlined below) and including emergency principles, assessment and management of airway, breathing and circulation, and minimisation of hypothermia and hyperkalaemia. The second category of care is that provided throughout the first 24 hours (see Table 23.12). Care of the burn patient beyond that time will follow the general principles for patients with compromise to one or more of the systems, with additional considerations relating to wound care.

Circulation

The massive interstitial and intracellular fluid shifts associated with acute burn injury will deplete circulating volume and result in shock if it remains uncorrected. Fluid resuscitation aims to anticipate and prevent rather than treat shock. ANZBA guidelines recommend IV resuscitation in adults with burns >15% TBSA and children with burns >10% TBSA.

Early intravenous cannulation (with two wide-bore cannulae) and the administration of high-volume fluids must begin immediately. ANZBA recommends crystalloid solution in the first 24 hours. There are several fluid replacement formulas, these are considered as a resuscitation guideline with fluid administration being titrated to patient response. One of the most widely accepted resuscitation formulas is the Modified Parkland formula, that recommends delivery of Hartmann’s solution at the rate of 3–4 mL/kg/% TBSA over the first 24 hours commencing at the time of burn injury, with half the fluid administered within the first 8 hours and the remainder over the next 16 hours. Time delays for implementation of fluid resuscitation should be corrected by increasing infusion rates to reach targets. Fluid resuscitation should be guided by predetermined endpoints in combination with fluid volumes dictated by the formula. Precise endpoints for burns resuscitation remain debatable, at present ANZBA recommends urine output of 0.5–1 mL/kg/hr in adults and 0.5–2 mL/kg/hr in children.

Patients with circumferential full thickness burn injury may require escharotomies due to the extensive oedema formation and the inelasticity of burn eschar. Delayed capillary return, a cool limb and increased pain manifest earlier than loss of palpable pulse.

The use of invasive monitoring in the burns patient is controversial, as the relevant catheters often require insertion through a burn and therefore provide a portal of entry for infection. However, all serious burns patients require an indwelling catheter for monitoring. Relevance of other monitoring capability will be made on an individual patient basis, based on cardiovascular status, need for inotropic support, extent of the burn and potential for infection.

Burn Dressings

Mitigating infection is the primary aim of good burns nursing.68 The greatest challenge is minimising the risk for cross-contamination, and patients should be nursed in a single room where possible. Burn dressings present a physical challenge, particularly when large areas of the body are affected.

The traditional burn dressing in the ICU is undertaken as a surgically clean technique. As part of the management of the burn injury, there are a number of specific issues that require attention. The following is a guide to specific aspects of burn management:

Debridement: this refers to the excision of dead skin. Gentle scrubbing is generally used to remove loose tissue and burst blisters. Forceps and scissors may be required to lift and remove smaller areas of tissue. Extensive areas of debridement will usually be undertaken in the operating room.

Blisters: small blisters should be left intact, large blisters may be aspirated or deroofed during debridement, although it should be noted that evidence regarding blister management is poor. Blisters over joints that are restricting movement should also be debrided.

Escharotomy: an escharotomy is undertaken to a limb or side of the trunk for circumferential burns that are contracting and creating vascular compromise to the underlying and distal tissues. The escharotomy is an incision through the eschar, and does not involve opening muscle fascia. The escharotomy immediately relieves the compression and is a limb/lifesaving surgical manoeuvre. The escharotomy is dressed as a burn to prevent infection.

Skin grafts: these are required to cover the skin defect. They may be full-thickness or partial-thickness grafts, and may be harvested from the patient or, in some cases, obtained from a cadaver donor. Regardless of the type of skin graft, nursing care remains the same, with the aim being to maximise adherence. Specific nursing care of the graft site includes leaving the site intact and immobilising the graft site, applying the appropriate wound care regimen, preventing shearing injury to the graft site, and minimising the risk for infection. With autografts, wound care will also be required for the donor site.71

Skin substitutes: some products are available to cover partial-thickness wounds that provide a moist environment that stimulates epithelialisation. These are best reserved for ‘clean’ wounds. Some products are able to act as full-thickness substitutes that provide wound closure, protection from mechanical trauma and bacteria and a vapour barrier. Once the new dermis is created the substitute is removed.71

Summary

Care of the trauma patient presents the critical care nurse with multiple challenges. With the introduction of Trauma Systems the outcome and survival of injured patients has improved dramatically. The severity of injury, and patient outcome, are dependent on effective prehospital care, resuscitation, definitive surgical management on arrival at the hospital. Principles of resuscitation of the trauma patient are the same as that for all patients, with a primary, secondary and tertiary survey being undertaken, and maintenance or correction of airway, breathing and circulation taking precedence. Prevention of the ‘trauma triad’ of hypothermia, acidosis and coagulopathy has the potential to significantly influence patient outcome. Consideration of the specific injury, with its resultant pathophysiological changes, is necessary to care effectively for patients with abdominal, chest, multiple or burn injuries. It is challenging work as trauma patients are largely a young and healthy population prior to injury and may experience significant ongoing compromise.

Case study

Chris was a 26-year-old, 120 kg, driver of a small sports car that ran a red light in rural Victoria. An oncoming delivery truck collided with the driver’s side at a high rate of speed. He was mechanically-trapped in the vehicle for over 80 minutes. On arrival of the emergency personnel his vital signs were as follows:

Treatment in the emergency department consisted of the following:

Injuries included: C2 odontoid # (type 2) with 3.5 mm complete separation; a # R transverse process of C7 that extended into the foramen transverserium; a # R transverse process of T1, bilateral rib fractures with R sided flail segment in ribs 1–4, a # R pneumothorax and sternal fracture. A Grade 3 Liver laceration, a fracture dislocation of the R humeral head, right sided forearm degloving and scalp laceration injuries were also present.

In ICU the neurosurgical team documented that Chris was ‘not to be moved’ as spinal stability could not be achieved due to the inability to fit an appropriate neck collar. A request was made for an MRI, CT shoulder and angiogram to be completed before a halothoracic brace was to be fitted. After consultation with the medical team 8 nurses log-rolled Chris with a head hold, and placed a slide sheet and trauma spinal mat under him to facilitate movement between bed and radiology surfaces without further movement.

Chris was ventilated in pressure control mode due to high peak inspiratory pressures (PIPs). Sedation medication was increased to facilitate ETT intolerance, and inotropes were required to maintain MAP goals. Continuous haemodynamic monitoring was required, with target parameters within normal ranges. Serial ABGs, haemoglobin and coagulation profiles were also undertaken.

Teams involved in Chris’ care, and their reports, included:

A surgical tracheostomy was performed due to prolonged ventilation wean, and allowed weaning of sedation. The Speech Pathology department reviewed Chris and a Passy-Muir speaking valve was used to assist him in communicating with his family.

Due to his size, a specialised chair that lay flat to allow transfer from bed and is then moved into an upright position, allowed Chris to sit out of bed. Prior to surgical fixation of his spine CD was placed in a reverse Trendelenburg position to minimise axial loading on the C2 fracture when sitting to 30°.

Prolonged bed rest, multiple skin folds and restricted movement contributed to a Grade 3 pressure area under Chris’ halothoracic brace and right shoulder. A treatment plan was developed that consisted of reducing the pressure by having the brace adjusted and regular dressings to debride the wound and provide an environment conducive to regranulation.

A social worker met with Chris’ parents and his sister. Chris spent 4 weeks in ICU before being discharged to the ward and then to a rehabilitation facility as he had significant muscle weakness due to his myopathy from prolonged immobility. There was no ongoing weakness as a result of spinal cord injury.

Research vignette

Ireland S, Endacott R, Cameron P, Fitzgerald M, Paul E. The incidence and significance of accidental hypothermia in major trauma – A prospective observational study. Resuscitation 2011; 82(3): 300–306.

Abstract

Critique

All major trauma patients presenting for treatment of injury were enrolled into this prospective observational study. For this study, the definition of major trauma is a surrogate of injury severity and risk of dying. However this criterion is not based on time critical clinical criteria. Therefore this study design did have the propensity of missing time-critical patients who had threat-to-life conditions that were reversed or did not result in death. The other major trauma criteria include the admission to ICU with ventilation or specified urgent surgery for intracranial, truncal, spine or pelvic injury.

The inclusion criteria included adults who presented with serious injury and met the major trauma patient criteria as described by the Victorian State Trauma System definition. Exclusions were those aged <18 years of age and all non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients. It must be remembered that the state of Victoria in Australia has a State-based trauma system that funnels all major trauma patients into two Level 1 adult trauma centres. With the caseload of The Alfred Hospital, this makes this study cohort a large and representative sample of major trauma across both an urban and rural settings.

The study identified hypothermia as a temperature <35°C on arrival to the trauma centre. The researchers also collected a variety of other parameters to help describe the nature and characteristics of the hypothermic patient population. Mechanism of injury, prehospital time and prehospital intubations, mortality, ICU admission, the Injury Severity Score and length of stay were all included in the analysis. Data analysis consisted of both univariate and multivariate analyses which incorporate many of the potential confounders.

Of the 820 patients eligible for inclusion into the study, 732 were included for analysis. The enrolled population was representative of the spectrum of injury including age and gender distributions. The key finding of this study was a threefold increase in risk of dying for those patients who were hypothermic on arrival to the trauma centre in the study population. This was independent of measured risk factors. The researchers highlight a number of key points in their discussion that are supported with the results from this sample population. Of particular note is the discussion around mitigating strategies for heat loss which was supported by this study, with only a small number of patients failing to warm in the ED. This supports the utility of nursing strategies to prevent heat loss and facilitate patient warming.

Fundamentally, this is a well-designed and executed study, however, limiting the study population to a predetermined major trauma definition was a lost opportunity. While outcomes such as mortality, ICU length of stay (LOS) and hospital LOS are important endpoints, this study missed an important subset of time-critical minor trauma patients who present hypothermic. Using time-critical status, such as trauma team activation, as inclusion criteria would have captured that subset of minor trauma patients. While that group are not high users of ICU, they are high consumers of hospital services and subject to complications of injury such as infection, identified to be statistically significant in the hypothermic population. This study demonstrates the clinical significance and incidence of accidental hypothermia in a major trauma population from an inclusive established state-based Trauma System. The implications for nursing are significant as over 10% of major trauma patients have the potential to be hypothermic on arrival to the ED. This was irrespective of season or time of day. Nurses must be vigilant in looking for, mitigating and reversing, hypothermia as it is associated with a three-fold increased risk for death.

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