Abstract

This book “First Aid and Emergency Management in Orthopedic Injuries” deals with the different aspects related to emergency management of injuries, with the principal aims in trying to highlight “what is”, with an attempt to show “what can be”. In this book cover many topics, and the idea is to have a flow from the basics to the more specific art of first aid and ER management in specific situations. This book is designed for all doctors who have the responsibility of dealing with injured patients as an emergency. That all who read it will gain knowledge attitudes and skills, which will allow them to administer better care. Better care in the emergency situation will be associated with better long-term functional results to the benefit of the patients and the society from which they come. Prehospital management is a much neglected issue in many countries, and the two separate chapters, from the UK and India show the differences and what the overall scenario should be. The discerning reader shall notice that each topic is covered differently, but all have a certain degree of depth, as various levels of surgeons in training and orthopedists in the making are the potential readers. This book benefits the orthopedic residents, especially in their day-to-day approach to patients presenting with acute trauma. In the modern era, Orthopedic Surgery has progressed much further than just setting bones and Traumatology is fast evolving into a specialty in its own right. Nevertheless, the basics for any orthopedic surgeon still evolve from trauma management, and there are many new ideas and concepts which have taken root. First aid treatment whether it is at the roadside or the casualty department of the hospital is another vital stage in the successful management of injured patients. Doctors in training assisted by nursing staff usually give this treatment. This book has several chapters on this vital first stage in treatment with sections focusing on specific injury categories. Of particular importance is the chapter on the nurse’s viewpoint. Junior doctors need to understand the complimentary role of nurses in the emergency situation, where not infrequently, it is the nurse who has the experience. The logistic problem of communication, evacuation and triage are daunting and are well described in the chapter on disasters.