|
home / centre for automotive safety research / Publications / List / Details Publication Details| Title | Logistics of early management of head and spinal injuries | | Authors | Simpson DA, Kwok B, North JB, Ring IT, Selecki BR, Sewell MF | | Year | 1986 | | Type | Journal Article | | Abstract | The logistics of early management have been studied in a series of 1161 patients with head and/or spinal injuries, who were admitted to hospital in NSW in 1977-78. Special attention has been given to three subgroups: 336 head injuries with records of impaired consciousness before first hospital admission, 355 head injuries later transferred because of deterioration, and 202 serious spinal injuries. It was found that in at least 18% of unconscious head injuries, and a similar percentage of spinal injuries, first aid and transport to hospital were provided by ambulances recorded to have only one trained staff member. In country weas, 41°/ of unconscious head injuries reached hospital after periods of time exceeding 1 h. For administrative as well as geographic reasons, more than 80% of initially unconscious head injuries and spinal injuries were first admitted to hospitals without neurosurgical and or spinal services; the majority of cases in both groups, therefore, had to be transferred to other hospitals, often within 6 h of first admission. In the subgroup of cases transferred because of deterioration, mortality increased with distance from a neurosurgical unit. These findings are related to the concept of an integrated regional trauma service. | | Journal Title | Australian & New Zealand Journal of Surgery | | Journal Volume (Issue) | 56(7) | | Page Range | 585-590 | | Page Count | 6 | | Notes | available from CASR library on request |
| Reference | | Simpson DA, Kwok B, North JB, Ring IT, Selecki BR, Sewell MF (1986). Logistics of early management of head and spinal injuries. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 56(7), 585-590. |
|
