Steps of Positioning Traffic Accident-Patient

Traffic accident-patients are at ease of getting disabilities or even death if not treated well as soon as possible. Critical injuries following the accident include bone fracture and internal injury. These can be fatal if they cause failure in cardiovascular system, respiratory system or central nervous system. Medical first responder should do steps of determining fatal cause and help positioning the patients to ensure life savings. Without knowing them, wrongly positioning the patients may further worsen the patient’s condition or even lead to sudden death.

The steps are uncovering the A B C D of patients. A is securing patient’s airway. If sign of potential obstruction is found, positioning is needed. For example: if patient is lying flat on his back and vomits, he should be positioned to sleep on his unaffected or healthy (left or right) side so that the vomit will be more easily go out of respiratory tract. B is examining patient’s breathing. Inspect chest movement, determine whether it is deep enought and withing regular normal frequency. Untight clothing without moving patient. C is examining patient’s circulation status. It can be done by looking at the color of patient’s finger nail, checking the temperature and examining skin. The color is pale, the temperature is cold and the skin is sweating, patient may be having hypovolemic shock because of external or internal bleeding. Therefore the source of bleeding should be searched and his leg should be elevated higher than head to help directing blood to vital internal organs while he is lying flat. D is examining patient’s deformities. Fracture in cervical spinal vertebrae, ribs or head may be fatal if it is not treated well. Patient’s head should be made fixated by neck collar before moving the patient because moving it unwisely will possibly paralyze all patient’s extremities and even cause paralyze of breathing muscle. Patient having rib fracture may not be left lying on stomach because it will give further burden to breathing muscle. Patient’ can die of respiratory failure. After medical first responder is sure that A B C D patient’s is safe they can consider transporting patient’s to the nearest hospital.

By
James (Dwi Notosusanto)