logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2023
38m 27s

Trauma Primary Survey; Roadside to Resus

Simon Laing, Rob Fenwick & James Yates
About this episode

So in this episode we're going to run though the primary survey in trauma. This clinical assessment helps us identify and treat life threatening injuries and to rapidly intervene and correct them, so getting it right really matter1. 

How this is done is hugely dependant upon the setting (either pre or in-hospital) as it is affected by the access to the patient, the number of people there to contribute to care and the challenges that the scene or hospital environment might hold.

We run through a model of primary survey that looks to gain as much information as possible in a rapid and effective pattern and discuss the slightly different approaches we all take, along with  rationale behind them.

Finally we cover the communication of the primary survey to the team, strategies that we can undertake to achieve this and how this can affect the momentum and onwards care of the patient. 

We found this a really useful topic to consider in some depth and we hope it's of use to you too!

Once again we'd love to hear any comments or questions either via the website or social media.

Enjoy!

Simon, Rob & James

Up next
Mar 1
March 2026; papers of the month
March's Papers of the Month is here and we've got three absolute crackers to get stuck into. First up, we head prehospital to explore pseudo-pulseless electrical activity. This review challenges us to rethink how we approach organised electrical activity without a pulse. We discu ... Show More
32m 30s
Feb 12
Airway Management in Trauma; Roadside to Resus
This episode is an absolute cracker! And we can say that as we've got outsider help... We've all been involved with patients where securing the airway with a prehospital anaesthetic feels intuitively right; the patient with a severe head injury after a fall from height, the unres ... Show More
58m 10s
Feb 1
February 2026; papers of the month
Welcome back to February's Papers of the Month! We start this month looking a the right place to perform a prehospital anaesthetic. Traditionally we've been taught it should be somewhere with 360-degree access to allow the greatest safety, which means intubating in an ambulance a ... Show More
32m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
#246: It’s Time to Talk About Trauma Informed Care
Trauma informed care is an approach to practice that strives to understand how past traumas affect why our patients do (or don’t do) what is needed in order to manage their health optimally. This concept of trauma informed care is gaining traction and being extensively studied in ... Show More
22m 48s
Apr 2022
Tympanic Membrane Perforation
The slap heard around the world has been all anyone can talk about for the last few weeks. Oscar buzz is usually before the event, but the altercation has left many discussing the evening outcomes afterwards.  According to popular opinion a slap in the face often only leads to so ... Show More
12m 8s
Mar 2024
#337: An End to Case Study Confusion
Nursing school exam questions place you into a clinical scenario where you have to make decisions based on the information provided. Many times these scenarios are robust and full of a lot of details such as vital signs, past medical history, and the patient’s signs and symptoms. ... Show More
48m 9s
Mar 2020
Episode 0 - The W5H of Trauma ICU Rounds
Look. Listen. Feel. In this trailer for the Trauma ICU Rounds podcast, I outline the objectives of this medical education series. Key topics that will be addressed span the spectrum of surgical critical care, acute care and emergency general surgery, as well as trauma. We'll ... Show More
5m 15s
Oct 2017
Anterior Shoulder Dislocation
<p>Today, we're going to talk about anterior shoulder dislocations. You're going to learn:</p> <p>1. Shoulder anatomy<br /> 2. Patient presentation<br /> 3. Etiology<br /> 4. What to look out for on the physical exam<br /> 5. The required imaging studies<br /> 6. How to reduce th ... Show More
12m 15s
Jan 2024
Healing Cycles of Trauma with Dr. Mariel Buqué
Dr. Mariel Buqué joins the podcast to help us learn how we can heal from the past, create healthier patterns, and break cycles of trauma. Forrest and Dr. Buqué talk about what intergenerational trauma is, how we can “hand trauma down,” and how these problematic patterns show up i ... Show More
1h 20m
Oct 2017
Anterior Shoulder Dislocations and Procedural Sedation
<p>Today, we're going to build on our last lecture regarding anterior shoulder dislocations. If you missed it, you can watch that here:</p> <p><a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xihtc7UfcDQ&list=PLU4UKgzxXhWma3ryfYvX5tp1WvTO5Vfiy&index=4"> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X ... Show More
28m 41s
Jun 2023
Bessel van der Kolk, MD | The Body Keeps the Score [Best of]
<p><br></p><p>Recent years have impacted our mental and physical health significantly. We are constantly faced with unsettling moments that leave a lasting impact, often unnoticed but affecting us all. The question is, how do we address this? </p><br><p>My guest this week is reno ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 2024
Trauma Informed Care
<p>Trauma informed care is a trending topic in our field and here, we discuss how to best incorporate it into our practice. When we talk about trauma, we’re not just referring to the big things, but really anything that happens in our learners’ lives that can make them a bit more ... Show More
11m 55s