Trauma care in the emergency room phase

Severely injured patients are admitted via the trauma bay. The trauma bay represents the transition point between prehospital and inhospital patient management. The initial assessment of the polytrauma patient includes a structured and focused identification and treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries. Following this initial assessment, the injuries of polytrauma patients must be adequately diagnosed and simultaneously the physiological stability must be defined. This includes a repetitive assessment of the pathophysiological status and a structured evaluation of the injury pattern. Special attention must be paid to the extent of hemorrhages and soft tissue injuries as well as coagulopathies and body temperature. Based on the distribution of injuries and the physiological status of the polytrauma patient, an interdisciplinary and suitable treatment strategy should be initiated. Team training, briefing and debriefing as well as a regular exchange of information amongst members of the emergency team during treatment help to improve the quality of treatment.