Category: Trauma

#NoF – Fractured Neck of Femur

BOAST Guidance

  • #NoF patients (or other fragility fracture) who requiring CT Head (for head injury) also be performed a CT Neck
    • Fragility fractures indicate the patient is at high risk of also sustain C-Spine injury.
    • Also the pain is likely distracting and the patient is often over 65yrs old so Canadian C-Spine rules will not apply.

Hx/Exam

  • Why did They Fall? – was this a collapse?
  • Are they sick? – Co-morbidity/illness is common in this group and must be recognised
  • Anticoagulants? – This affects treatment
    • On Warfarin – If INR >1.5 (or unavailable) Vit-K 5mg
  • Other injuries? – >65’s the most common mechanism of TARN major trauma is fall <2m
  • Typically – Pain hip/buttock, shortened, externally rotated
  • Atypical – Few signs (can they lift their leg & is rotation at the hip painful)

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Lower Back Pain: Red & Yellow Flags

Each year 1:15 of the adult population will seek medical help for Lower Back Pain, that is 2.6 million patients in the UK. Most Lower Back Pain is not serious and will revolve within 8 weeks, with analgesia and self physio.

However, this is not the case for some. This may be due to serious underlying pathology ‘RED Flags‘, or psychological factors that indicate chronicity ‘Yellow Flags‘.

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Dislocated Shoulder (Teaching Video)

Great review of shoulder reduction, techniques and sedation. 

Learning points:

  • Most techniques will work 80% of the time (Best results tailor the technique to the patient)
  • Kocker’s shouldn’t be used in # greater tuberosity
  • Cunningham technique looks interesting (I’m going to give this a go)
  • Traction is the what causes the most pain. Reduce the traction & Reduce the sedation required

Silver Trauma

The population is ageing and thus our ‘typical’ trauma patient is also changing. In 2017 the TARN report “Major injury in older people” highlighted the following issues:

  • The typical major trauma patient: has changed from a young and male to being an older patient.
  • Older Major Trauma Patients (ISS>15): A fall of <2m is the commonest mechanism of injury
  • Triage/Recognition of ‘Silver Trauma’ is POOR
    • Pre-hospital: Not identified hence taken to TU’s (Here) not MTC’s (Leeds).
    • The ED: Often seen by Junior Staff and endure significant treatment delays.
    • Hospital: Much less likely to be transferred to specialist care.
    • Outcomes: More likely to die, but those who survive have similar levels of disability to younger people.

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Humeral Brace – Application

Inclusion Criteria – All closed neurovascular intact adult humeral shaft fractures

Exclusion Criteria – Intra-articular fractures of either the proximal or distal humerus, and surgical neck of humerus.

Please note that the supplier/manufacturer of these braces can change from time to time. Please always consult the information provided with the brace, especially for sizing advice.

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Haematoma Block – Colles’

Haematoma blocks can be a safe and effect method of pain relief to facilitate reducing Colles’ fractures.

It is also worth considering Penthrox as an alternative.

What to give?

  • 1% Lidocaine
    • Onset 10-15min
    • Offset up to 2hr
  • 3mg/kg (maximum dose)
    • 70kg patient could have up to 210mg
  • Volume 1% Lidocaine = 10mg/ml 
    • 70kg = 210mg / 10 = 21ml
  • Signs of TOXICITY 
    • Sensory Disturbance: Facial tingling,  Numbness, Metallic taste, Tinnitus, Vertigo
    • Functional Disturbance: Slurred speech, Seizures, Reduced GCS
    • Cardiovascular: Hypotension, Palpitations
    • Treatment – ABCD, see LA-Toxicity [HERE]

Asepsis

Remember you are putting a needle into a sterile fracture and bone infection never ends well.

  • Chloro prep or Betadine – ensure it has time to dry
  • Sterile field
  • Sterile Gloves (particularly when learning)
  • No-Touch technique (Only if proficient)

Method

a. Insertion

  • Find fracture site – move approx. 1cm proximally
  • Insert needle – bevel down & at approx. 30°, towards the fracture
  • Hit bone & slide – forward into the fracture
  • Aspirate – you should be able to aspirate some blood, but not always (however, its should not flow too easily, if it does are you in a vessel?)
  • Inject –  this often needs a bit of pressure, infiltrate approx. 1/4 of the volume.

b. Fanning (this is not always necessary but seems to improve outcome)

  • Withdrawal needle a little – keeping it under the skin.
  • Change angle & advance – into the fracture
  • Aspirate and Infiltrate – more lidocaine
  • Repeat – do this several times so you have walked needle across the fracture (Use approx. 1/2 the lidocaine)

c. Ulna styloid (Only needed if fracture or tender)

  • Find Ulna styloid
  • Insert needle – straight onto the styloid
  • Aspirate
  • Inject – you are not normally going into the fracture but leaving a bolus approx.1/4

Give the patient 10-15min while you set up for reduction for it to achieve peak effect –  then check how its working. (getting the patine to move their wrist is a good test)

 

ENP’s – DOP’s forms can be found here

Tetanus – Wounds

Tetanus prone and High Risk definitions

Immunisation schedule

  • Primary: 2, 3 & 4 months old
  • Boosters: 3½ – 5yrs and 13-15yrs

Warning:

  • Immunisation only started nationwide in the UK in 1961 (people born before 1961 are unlikely to have completed a primary course)
  • Immunocompromised patients are unlikely to produce adequate antibodies
  • Immediate reinforcing dose of vaccine – these patients are expected to have a rapid response to vaccine dose conferring protection

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