Color Atlas of Emergency Trauma

Rating:
Summary: Trauma Library
Review: A vivid full color atlas that presents nearly 700 images, including; clinical, operative and autopsy photographs, radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography and original drawings. Chapters are organized by major body regions including the head, face, neck, chest, abdomen, musculoskeletal system, spine and soft tissue system. The accompanying text discusses management guidelines, work up protocols and common pitfalls. The objective of the book is to give the reader a detailed clinical and visual depiction of trauma injuries that commonly present within one of the largest trauma center in the United States.

The clear and concise text, accompanied as it is with side by side pictorial comparisons of surgical disease images and treatment protocols, is extremely effective. The Emergency Medical Physicians/authors must have worked closely with the Trauma Surgeons in order to capture images during critical stages of care. ED snapshots of external signs of injuries accompanied by X-rays, and when available intra-operative pictures, give readers a comprehensive understanding of the treatment strategies employed. Most helpful to this reviewer were the photos of external signs of head injuries, followed by CAT scans and concluding with images from the operating room detailing intracranial blood collections and subsequent evacuations. Many of the images in the book depict injuries that are unique or rare, although not exclusive to large urban centers. For example, photos of close range shotgun wounds, impaled foreign bodies, dislocations and severe facial trauma. Many emergency trauma surgical procedures that may be less commonly observed in smaller trauma centers are presented in an easy to appreciate format including; catheter balloon tamponade techniques to stem hemorrhage and lateral canthotomy to reduce retrobulbar pressure of the optic nerve. The autopsy images were exceptional as well. Most notable were those images depicting severe distraction of the spinal column and extrusion of the spinal cord.

I welcome the opportunity to utilize this impressive compilation of images and techniques in my teaching and clinical work, and I highly recommend it's use to ICU, OR and ER nurses. Utilizing detailed and strikingly graphic photography and text, the book provides a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the initial presentation of a variety of injuries and treatment protocols. A fascinating and practical hands on textbook for the ER and trauma library.