Polytrauma: a case report

In the prehospital setting, the ‘foot of the bed inspection’ becomes an ‘over the ambulance dashboard inspection’. A mangled wreck at the foot of a tree is usually a good indication that someone has been injured and that timely clinical intervention may be required. By considering the mechanisms involved and performing a thorough primary survey, time critical patients can be triaged and treated with efficiency. As paramedics’ assessment skills continue to improve and doctors gain prehospital experience, it is anticipated that a well balanced team will emerge. A team that is aware of their limitations and limit their interventions to the time permitted to intervene. This case study is based on the young male driver of a vehicle that has been involved in a high speed collision with a tree. It aims to identify the probable pathologies, explain the pathophysiology of clinical signs and discuss, with evidence, the treatment options and appropriate destination for the patient.