Imaging in Trauma

Trauma has been recognized in recent years as one of the most important health care issues still to be fully addressed. A new awareness of deficiencies in the clinical management of injured patients has led to an urgent reappraisal of procedures and training in many hospitals. Parallel to this, there has been a revolution in the field of radiology and diagnostic imaging. Imaging in Trauma provides guidance on the safe and effective application of imaging techniques to patients who have been injured - recommending appropriate techniques wherever they are known to be effective and highlighting cases where their use would be inappropriate. The use of basic conventional radiology is most comprehensively covered, recognising that some of the newer modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, will not be generally available for some years. . It is important to consider not only the production of good images, but also how to help clinicians to order them appropriately and to interpret them. A full report from a trained radiologist may not be immediately available to junior medical staff trying to manage the patient in the A&E department. Therefore, advice about viewing images systematically is offered, together with hints on the pitfalls which might be faced. This advice is patient- centred rather than image centred - an emphasis which makes the text different from others. Each chapter offers a summary of the key points it contains. The book will be of assistance to all medical and nursing staff working in the speciality of Accident and Emergency Medicine and also to those working in specialities which offer definitive care to injured patients. The contents of the book may also assist those wishing to study for higher examinations in Accident and Emergency, Surgery and Radiology, especially where the interpretation of images forms part of the examination.