A 74-year-old female complains of abdominal pain after falling down five stairs off her front porch and striking her abdomen and left hand on a mailbox at the bottom. The patient also reports pain in her left wrist and right ankle, both of which show obvious deformity. She is alert and oriented, and her abdomen is free of bruising but tender in the left upper and lower quadrants. Her vital signs are pulse, 132 beats/min; respirations, 22 breaths/min; blood pressure, 106/86 mmHg; and initial SpO2, 93% on room air. Oxygen has been applied, and the patient has full spine motion restriction precautions in place. Advanced life support has been requested and is 12 minutes away from your current location. What is your next action?

When managing abdominal trauma, EMTs should keep exposed organs sterile and moist. They should also: Remove all clothing Roll the patient to find all injuries, including exit wounds Control bleeding Cover wounds with sterile gauze or abdominal pads Gently drape the pads over the wound Not push abdominal contents back into the body cavity  Early management of abdominal trauma includes: Hemostatic resuscitation Permissive hypotension Damage control surgery Naso/orogastric tube (N/OGT) Urinalysis Imaging  The most reliable signs and symptoms of blunt abdominal trauma in alert... Show more

When managing abdominal trauma, EMTs should keep exposed organs sterile and moist. They should also:
Remove all clothing
Roll the patient to find all injuries, including exit wounds
Control bleeding
Cover wounds with sterile gauze or abdominal pads
Gently drape the pads over the wound
Not push abdominal contents back into the body cavity 

Early management of abdominal trauma includes:
Hemostatic resuscitation
Permissive hypotension
Damage control surgery
Naso/orogastric tube (N/OGT)
Urinalysis
Imaging 

The most reliable signs and symptoms of blunt abdominal trauma in alert patients are: Pain, Tenderness, Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Hypovolemia, and Evidence of peritoneal irritation. 
The most important initial concern in the evaluation of a patient with blunt abdominal trauma is assessment of hemodynamic stability. 

Show less