Physical trauma is a physical injury that is serious and could endanger a patient's life. Common causes of physical trauma include car accidents, burns, drowning, explosions, crush injuries, and severe beatings. Treatment for physical trauma usually needs to be done in a hospital setting and can include surgery as well as prolonged rehabilitation. Prognosis varies depending on the extent of the injuries, the patient's health at the time of the injury, and how quickly treatment is given.
There are a number of concerns with physical trauma. Immediate problems may include blood loss, brain damage, respiratory failure, and severe pain. Patients must be promptly evaluated to identify their injuries and determine which injuries are more serious. They must also be supported if they are unstable with treatments such as intravenous fluids and blood transfusions to control blood loss, ventilation if they cannot breathe independently, and bandages to stop or slow bleeding.
A workup for physical trauma also includes evaluations for possible complications and secondary injuries. This may include neurological exams to look for signs of injury to the brain, as brain damage is not always obvious, along with medical imaging studies to look for internal bleeding, undiagnosed fractures, and other injuries that could be dangerous if left untreated. Wounds must also be thoroughly cleaned to remove contaminants from the scene, with the aim of reducing infection, and patients may be given prophylactic antibiotics and other drugs to prevent inflammation and infection.
Hospitals handle physical trauma in emergency rooms and trauma units. Care teams may include nurses, doctors, and a variety of medical specialists who may be consulted to address specific problems such as fractures and organ damage. Psychologists and rehabilitation professionals also often spend time with patients who have experienced trauma to identify issues that will need to be addressed once the patient is stable and recovering.
Health care providers who specialize in trauma care include paramedics, emergency room nurses, and trauma surgeons. These professionals must be able to act quickly to assess and care for a patient, sometimes in chaotic and upsetting situations. Training for people interested in providing trauma care is provided in a variety of settings to get people used to working in mixed settings. In addition to receiving medical training, trauma care providers must also learn how to work with police and other emergency services and must be familiar with protocols relevant to mass trauma, such as plans for handling terrorist attacks, building collapses, and other emergencies.