ABSTRACT
The severely injured patient, with multiple injuries to different body systems, poses unique diagnostic and treatment challenges. The early assessment and management of severe trauma begins in the prehospital environment. Many of these patients will be easily identified at the scene of injury and forewarning the receiving hospital allows the activation of the trauma team to prepare for the patient’s arrival. Key information in the pre-alert includes basic demographic information (age and gender), mechanism of injury, injuries identified and vital signs, including respiratory rate, pulse, blood pressure and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).
