Indication:

A condition that has caused the patient to become pulseless and apneic due to significant injury is known as traumatic arrest.

Precaution:

• Scene safety
• COCPR (Compression Only CPR) is not to be used for suspected traumatic arrest
  

Procedure:

 

Note:

• Notify the Emergency Department of the receiving hospital as soon as possible.  Notification should include a patient report and need for trauma activation.

Resuscitation Note:

Research in this area indicates that patients who are found pulseless and apneic in the field from blunt trauma are not candidates for resuscitation.  In the presence of multiple patients, a blunt trauma arrest should be deemed non-viable and attempts should not be made to resuscitate.

Penetrating trauma to the neck, chest or thorax resulting in arrest has some chance at resuscitation, although survival percentages are small.

The focus when attempting resuscitation or in preventing a critically injured patient from entering cardiac arrest is:

• Aggressive airway management
• Treatment of tension pneumothorax
• Hemorrhage control
• Vascular access
• Fluid replacement
• Short scene time

It is important to note that the use of Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) medications and algorithms are not effective in treating the traumatic arrest victim.