Imaging in Trauma: How to Plan Investigations for the Injured Patient

Trauma has been recognized in recent years as one of the most important health care issues still to be fully addressed. A new awareness of deficiencies in the clinical management of injured patients has led to an urgent reappraisal of procedures and training in many hospitals. Parallel to this, there has been a revolution in the field of radiology and diagnostic imaging. Imaging in Trauma provides guidance on the safe and effective application of imaging techniques to patients who have been injured - recommending appropriate techniques wherever they are known to be effective and highlighting cases where their use would be inappropriate. The use of basic conventional radiology is most comprehensively covered, recognising that some of the newer modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, will not be generally available for some years. . It is important to consider not only the production of good images, but also how to help clinicians to order them appropriately and to interpret them. A full report from a trained radiologist may not be immediately available to junior medical staff trying to manage the patient in the A&E department. Therefore, advice about viewing images systematically is offered, together with hints on the pitfalls which might be faced. This advice is patient- centred rather than image centred - an emphasis which makes the text different from others. Each chapter offers a summary of the key points it contains. The book will be of assistance to all medical and nursing staff working in the speciality of Accident and Emergency Medicine and also to those working in specialities which offer definitive care to injured patients. The contents of the book may also assist those wishing to study for higher examinations in Accident and Emergency, Surgery and Radiology, especially where the interpretation of images forms part of the examination.

Table of Contents:
Part 1. The production and reporting of images The organisation and logistics of imaging in the Accident and Emergency department The reporting of images and safety net systems Part 2. The clinical use of imaging Imaging in the patient with multiple injuries The imaging of foreign bodies Specialist techniques and interventional radiology in trauma Non-accidental injury (child abuse). Part 3. The use of imaging in specific body regions Face Neck Chest Abdomen Pelvis Thoracic and lumbar/sacral spine The extremities: i) Upper limbs; ii) Lower limbs Part 4. Education, training, and audit

About the Author :
After qualifying as a doctor at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine in 1981, Robert Cocks trained in accident and emergency medicine in London and Manchester before taking up a post as consultant/senior lecturer at the Hammersmith Hospital, London, in 1990. During his 5 years at the Hammersmith, he developed an active immediate care scheme running two vehicles, and developed a successful medical management of major incidents course as a joint venture between BASICS and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School. In late 1995 he moved to take up his present position at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and has developed teaching and research programmes in the field of accident and emergency medicine there, while retaining an active interest in immediate care and disaster planning in the territory.