A teenage female patient was ejected from a car as it rolled down a hill after she ran off the road. She is responsive, but with signs of early shock and respiratory distress. She has bruising to her anterior abdomen and chest, a laceration to her left temple, and deformity to her left wrist. At which point should the wrist injury be splinted?

According to EMS.gov, a trauma patient is an injured person who requires immediate diagnosis and treatment from a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the risk of death or permanent disability. A trauma system is an organized effort that provides the full range of care to all injured patients in a defined geographic area. It's integrated with the local public health system and includes the following components: Prevention, Prehospital care, Hospital care, and Rehabilitation.  The first phase of a trauma system activates immediately after an... Show more

According to EMS.gov, a trauma patient is an injured person who requires immediate diagnosis and treatment from a multidisciplinary team of health care professionals. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the risk of death or permanent disability. A trauma system is an organized effort that provides the full range of care to all injured patients in a defined geographic area. It's integrated with the local public health system and includes the following components: Prevention, Prehospital care, Hospital care, and Rehabilitation. 

The first phase of a trauma system activates immediately after an injury and includes:
Calling 911
Coordinating a response among Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Making initial assessments and diagnoses
Stabilizing the patient
Transporting the patient to a local hospital or trauma center
Admitting the patient to an acute medical care facility 

Trauma systems can impact patient outcomes in a number of ways, including: Injury prevention, Bystander intervention, and Emergency medical services. 

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