Vascular Trauma

Abstract

Care of the multiply injured patient following trauma is now becoming recognized as a distinct subspecialty in its own right (1). Since 2012, the UK has developed mature trauma systems which replaced a disorganized and haphazard approach to trauma as part of the General Surgical ‘take’, and these systems have shown improved outcomes (2, 3). Trauma care starts in the prehospital phase, progressing to the emergency department (ED), the operating theatre or interventional/hybrid suite, through to intensive care, the ward and to rehabilitation. It is now well recognized that input is required from a breadth of specialties including prehospital medicine, emergency medicine, various surgical specialties, anaesthesia, intensive care medicine, radiology, haematology and transfusion medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and psychology services.