BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA

Course overview

TRAUMA IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN PATIENTS UNDER 35-YEARS OF AGE AND THE SIXTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE. THE MAJORITY OF SERIOUS TRAUMATIC INJURIES ARE DUE TO BLUNT TRAUMA FROM MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES AND PEDESTRIAN INJURIES. SEVERITY IS RELATED TO BOTH THE MECHANISM OF INJURY AS WELL AS THE UNDERLYING COMORBIDITIES OF THE PATIENT. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE ETIOLOGY, EPIDEMIOLOGY, CLINICAL PRESENTATION, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA AND SHOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EDUCATING PATIENTS TO PREVENT SUCH INJURIES AND EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SUCH PATIENTS.