Rapid Trauma assessment vs Detailed Physical Exam

[musicislife]

I have always been confused on when to perform what when dealing with a multi system trauma patient. I think i have to do the rapid trauma assessment on the scene (check, head, neck, chest, abdomen, back, and extremities) and then perform the detailed physical exam in the rig (rapid trauma assessment puls a pupil check, checking the ears and nose, movement of fingers and toes if conscious, etc). Am i correct?

[paramedicmike]

What's the goal of the rapid trauma assessment in a trauma patient? To identify immediate life threats and address them as needed, right? So you're right in that you would do that immediately. The detailed physical exam is to more thoroughly explore what's going on. This doesn't necessarily have to be done in the ambulance but most often it probably is.

Trauma patient scene time should, ideally, be short. So do your rapid assessment first. Address any immediate life threats (ABCs). Package and move. Then once you're in a stable place (probably the ambulance) then you're reassessing what you've already seen and addressed while further exploring for what you might not have seen the first time.