Trauma Service: Primary And Secondary Survey
Write a short note on Surveyor.
Answer. Surveyor is the one of the members of the trauma team.
Surveyors are of two types, i.e. primary surveyor and secondary surveyor.
Primary Surveyor (Surgical resident)
- Performs the primary survey, relaying all pertinent findings to the team.
- May perform the secondary survey, relaying all pertinent findings to the team.
- Performs or assists in the performance of any life-saving procedures at the direction of the team leader
Primary Survey Techniques in Trauma Care
Secondary Surveyor (Surgical resident or intern)
- Assists with the “exposure” aspect of the primary survey and applies warm blankets.
- May perform the secondary survey, relaying all pertinent findings to the team
- Performs or assists in the performance of any life-saving procedures at the direction of the team leader
Secondary Survey Protocols for Trauma Patients
Surveying In Maxillofacial injuries
Primary Survey
- Identify the airway compromise from fracture or hemorrhage.
- Bilateral anterior fractures of the mandible have the risk of falling back of the tongue.
- Orotracheal intubation should be needed.
- With the help of mouth props and epistaxis balloons hemorrhage should be controlled.
- Anterior and posterior nasal packing can be needed.
Trauma Primary Survey Checklist
Secondary Survey
- Orbital rim, zygomatic arches, and mandible should be palpated to identify fractures.
- Eyes should be examined: Restricted eye movement is suggestive of an orbital fracture.
- Subconjunctival hemorrhage can be suggestive of a fracture of the skull.
- Proptosis and ophthalmoplegia can be suggestive of retrobulbar hemorrhage.
- Sensation should be assessed in the maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve.
- Check intracanthal distance which should be 30–35mm. If the distance is more than the mentioned range, it is suggestive of nasoethmoid fracture.
- The intraoral examination is necessary. Assess the occlusion and intraoral hematomas.
Leave a Reply