Intensive Care Nursing/Trauma/Trauma Systems and Transport



Pre-Hospital Triage

The aim is to reduce preventable trauma deaths in the pre-hospital setting by matching patient needs with appropriate care provision. Triage systems assist the initial clinical assessment and identification of a major trauma patient. Pre-hospital major trauma need to be identified according to specified physiological and anatomical criteria. In Australia the Victorian State Trauma System has a pre-hospital triage guideline

Activation protocols

Major trauma triage guidelines provide activation protocols for pre-hospital trauma Systems for adult and paediatric patients. Major trauma patients where possible should be transferred directly to an adult or paediatric major trauma service by the ambulance service. If a major trauma service is not available within a timely manner or weather conditions do not allow safe transport then the patient should be triaged to the nearest and highest-level trauma service available. The protocol must ensure the most appropriate decision of air versus ground is undertaken for safe and time appropriate transport.

References

Victorian State Trauma System Guideline (2014) Trauma Victoria [1]

Victoria Air Ambulance Helicoptors (2015) Ambulance Victoria [2]