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ABC of Major Trauma

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1997; 156: 261-262
2nd ed. Edited by David Skinner, Peter Driscoll and Richard Earlam. 146 pp. Illust. BMJ Publishing Group, London. 1996. Distributed in Canada by the Canadian Medical Association, Ottawa. $51.95 ($42.95 CMA members). ISBN 0-7279-0917-7

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Overall rating: Excellent
Strengths: Concise text with many diagrams and tables; emphasis on teaching points
Weaknesses: Tries to cover too much material; section on medical problems appears out of place
Audience: Emergency physicians and nurses, and residents in surgery and emergency medicine
The target audience for this book is emergency nurses and physicians as well as surgical residents and any health care personnel who care for patients with trauma in rural areas or who transport these patients to a trauma centre. The editors are consultants in accident and emergency medicine as well as general surgery.

The text follows the format of the advanced trauma life support course, with the addition of graphs, illustrations and tables to emphasize the concepts. All of the graphs, tables and photos are in colour; the photos are therefore very life-like.

There is an excellent section on preparing to treat patients with trauma as well as on the composition, roles and responsibilities of the trauma team. There is also an excellent chapter on radiography in the diagnosis of trauma, which outlines the indications for particular radiographs, their quality and interpretation.

There are separate chapters on pediatric trauma, trauma in elderly people and trauma in pregnancy. These chapters emphasize relevant clinical points that illustrate how the care of these patients may differ from that of other patients with trauma.

Other chapters focus on trauma in hostile environments and in disasters. Although these chapters are not in great depth, they demonstrate the varied sources trauma victims may come from.

This glossy-cover book presents many of the concepts put forward in the advanced trauma life support course and augments these with worthwhile information on trauma-team composition and responsibilities.

Garnet Cummings, MD, MSc
Regional Program Clinical Director -- Trauma
Royal Alexandra Hospital
Edmonton, Alta.

| CMAJ January 15, 1997 (vol 156, no 2) |