David V. Skinner & Peter A. Driscoll 
ABC of Major Trauma 

Prehospital care is a growing area in medicine, and emergency treatments are becoming more sophisticated as the potential to save lives grow.

The fourth edition of this ABC has been thoroughly updated and includes new chapters on nuclear and biological emergencies.

Each chapter gives concise and clear guidance and is accompanied by excellent photographs and diagrams.

Edited and written by leading UK trauma authorities, this is a truly comprehensive and practical book for everyday use by emergency medicine staff, nurses, hospital doctors, paramedics, and ambulance services.

This title is also available as a mobile App from Med Hand Mobile Libraries. Buy it now from i Tunes, Google Play or the Med Hand Store.

Table of Content

List of Contributors vii

Foreword xi

Preface xiii

Acknowledgements xv

List of Abbreviations xvii

1 Initial Assessment and Management: Primary Survey and Resuscitation 1
David V. Skinner and Peter A. Driscoll

2 Initial Assessment and Management: Secondary Survey 8
Rachael Pery-Johnston and David V. Skinner

3 The Upper Airway 13
David Watson and Catherine Peters

4 Thoracic Trauma 18
Andrew Blyth

5 Hypovolaemic Shock 29
Jerry P. Nolan and Rick Pullinger

6 Head Injuries 35
Lisa E. Munro-Davies

7 Maxillofacial Trauma 44
Steve R. Watt-Smith Sarah J. Wilson and Karen A. Eley

8 Spine and Spinal Cord Injury 52
Andrew Swain and Andre Cromhout

9 Abdominal Trauma 67
Munawar Al-Mudhaffar and Philip Hormbrey

10 The Urinary Tract 71
Jaskarn Rai Ajith Malalasekera Timothy Terry and Anthony Deane

11 Limb Injuries 78
Rohit Kotnis Nigel Rossiter and Keith Willett

12 Eye Injuries 85
John Elston and Andrew Gibson

13 Medical Problems in Trauma Patients 90
Tom Hughes

14 Radiological Assessment 97
James Rankine David Nicholson Peter A. Driscoll and Dominic Barron

15 Role of the Trauma Nurse 101
Jill Hill

16 Scoring Systems for Trauma 105
Maralyn Woodford

17 Handling Distressed Relatives and Breaking Bad News 109
Chris A. J. Mc Lauchlan

18 Trauma in Pregnancy 116
Rebecca S. Black and Deborah J. Harrington

19 Paediatric Trauma 119
John J. M. Black

20 Trauma in the Elderly 134
Carl L. Gwinnutt and Michael A. Horan

21 Prehospital Trauma Care 140
John J. M. Black

22 Transfer of the Trauma Patient 152
Carl L. Gwinnutt and Alastair W. Wilson

23 Management of Severe Burns 158
Oliver Fenton Colin Robertson and Orla Austin

24 Chemical Incidents 166
Virginia Murray

25 Ballistic Injury 171
Rob Russell Jon Clasper Bruce Jenner Timothy J. Hodgetts and Peter F. Mahoney

26 Trauma in Hostile Environments 180
Mark Byers Peter R. Davis Timothy J. Hodgetts and Peter F. Mahoney

27 Psychological Trauma 186
Martin P. Deahl

28 Major Incidents 191
Lizle Blom and John J. M. Black

29 Trauma Systems in Developing Countries 203
Douglas Wilkinson

Index 209

About the author

David Skinner, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK

Peter Driscoll, Department of Emergency Medicine, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK