Trauma surgery

[Payne]

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So, I am starting a g. surg. residency next month and am wondering (like a fair number of others on this board) what to do in the interim to be prepared (or at least feel like I am doing something productive).

My first couple months will be in trauma surgery at a busy county hospital. I did an ED rotation in med. school, but not a trauma surgery rotation, so I am a little unclear as to exactly what to expect. Any thoughts on the following questions would be greatly appreciated.

1) How does an intern's time break down on a trauma rotation and what are an intern's primary responsibilities on trauma?

2) What is the best pocket reference and/or more comprehensive book to rely on?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

 

[mddo2b]

So, I am starting a g. surg. residency next month and am wondering (like a fair number of others on this board) what to do in the interim to be prepared (or at least feel like I am doing something productive).

RELAX AND ENJOY THE R&R...BECAUSE SOON THE LIFE AS YOU KNOW IT WILL CHANGE




My first couple months will be in trauma surgery at a busy county hospital. I did an ED rotation in med. school, but not a trauma surgery rotation, so I am a little unclear as to exactly what to expect. Any thoughts on the following questions would be greatly appreciated.

1) How does an intern's time break down on a trauma rotation and what are an intern's primary responsibilities on trauma?
dEPENDS ON THE HOSPITAL...IN GENERAL ALL THE SCUTWORK/FLOOR WORK...lots of h&p's, getting radiology results etc..at my place the interns do any trauma consults


2) What is the best pocket reference and/or more comprehensive book to rely on?
The Trauma Handbook is nice...The ATLS text for an intro...and of course Trauma by Mattox

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Please...take my advice and enjoy your vacation to the fullest

 

[doc05]

don't worry about trauma - you won't be operating, after all. it's all about admit orders, discharge summaries, and babysitting patients going to CT.

 

[Bovie9]

Yes yes yes! I asked the same exact question 1 year ago. Now, 2 months away from finishing my internship, I must echo the same advice. RELAX! Don't even think about touching a book!

 

[Purulent DC]

Buy a copy of "Trauma Secrets" or Trunkey's book on trauma and read up on ICU stuff. Most of Trauma is non-operative but you may be the primary team in the ICU monitoring the trauma victims that have been operated on by neurosurg or ortho after being assessed by the trauma team. Occasionally you'll have a laparotomy to do or help out w/ a plastics or vascular procedure, otherwise get ready for rounding in the STICU, and listen to your upper levels in terms of doing what the attendings expect. It'd also help to read up on basic procedures: chest tubes, A-lines, central lines, CCU monitoring, vent settings, and of course primary and secondary surveys, FAST scanning, etc. Prepare to get yelled at by impatient, control freak attendings.

 

[scutking]

I recommend buying a copy of the Parkland Trauma Handbook, which will fit easily in your pocket. It may be a little above the level of intern, but it will help you understand what is being done and why. The best overall reference textbook is Mattox/Moore/Feliciano's Trauma textbook. Don't bother buying it yet. Stick to the Parkland handbook for now. As for your daily tasks... primarily expect to be doing floor work, scutwork in the trauma bay, and if you go to the OR at all, it'll be to hold a retractor. Sorry. Such is the life of the PGY-1.

 

[njbmd]

So, I am starting a g. surg. residency next month and am wondering (like a fair number of others on this board) what to do in the interim to be prepared (or at least feel like I am doing something productive).

My first couple months will be in trauma surgery at a busy county hospital. I did an ED rotation in med. school, but not a trauma surgery rotation, so I am a little unclear as to exactly what to expect. Any thoughts on the following questions would be greatly appreciated.

1) How does an intern's time break down on a trauma rotation and what are an intern's primary responsibilities on trauma?

2) What is the best pocket reference and/or more comprehensive book to rely on?

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Hi there,
I used Mont Reid (fits in your pocker) and didn't need anything else. Mont Reid has everything that you need for general surgery, trauma included and nothing you don't. The illustrations are good and you can read it on your downtime.

Don't bother reading anything this summer. Enjoy your vacation and make sure that you are moved and settled before work starts. Once you start to work, you won't have a lot of time to do domestic stuff. Go to the beach. Watch TV (no Discovery Health Channel) and catch up on your movies.

Get yourself a comfortable pair of Birkenstock or Dansko clogs and your Mont Reid and you will be set. Anything more, and you will be overdoing it.

nbjmd 🙂

 

[Bovie9]

This is what you need to know for trauma surgery

... not just any old trauma surgery, but INTERN trauma surgery!!! (roll the ER music!)


1. Sir, you are going to feel my finger in your rectum.
2. Sir, we are going to take you up for a CT scan
3. (un radiographia especial de su cabesa, relaja- toda esta bien)
4. Regarding pimping= ABCs always, and
5. 80/40, HR 120 almost always means OR
6. Know the best way from Blood bank to OR, blood bank to IR
7. Don't complain about the "BS" traumas, "I can't believe those ER trolls called us for this," blah, blah, blah, because it won't ever stop
8. It is great to tell the floor nurses that you are "busy with trauma, and won't be able to start that IV" - it is really amazing what they can accomplish without an intern there.
9. Putting figure of 8 stitches in some drunk guy's head is actually pretty fun

 

[mddo2b]

This is what you need to know for trauma surgery

... not just any old trauma surgery, but INTERN trauma surgery!!! (roll the ER music!)


1. Sir, you are going to feel my finger in your rectum.
2. Sir, we are going to take you up for a CT scan
3. (un radiographia especial de su cabesa, relaja- toda esta bien)
4. Regarding pimping= ABCs always, and
5. 80/40, HR 120 almost always means OR
6. Know the best way from Blood bank to OR, blood bank to IR
7. Don't complain about the "BS" traumas, "I can't believe those ER trolls called us for this," blah, blah, blah, because it won't ever stop
8. It is great to tell the floor nurses that you are "busy with trauma, and won't be able to start that IV" - it is really amazing what they can accomplish without an intern there.
9. Putting figure of 8 stitches in some drunk guy's head is actually pretty fun

NICE....that about sums it up 👍

 

[VentdependenT]

Watch for the contrast puke to shoot up when pts are laying in the CT scanner. Have some suction hanging around...its going to happen.

The small trauma section in Lawrence is a great read prior to that rotation. Can crush it in one night. Other than that I'll defer further answers to my surgical colleagues.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

This is what you need to know for trauma surgery

... not just any old trauma surgery, but INTERN trauma surgery!!! (roll the ER music!)


1. Sir, you are going to feel my finger in your rectum.
2. Sir, we are going to take you up for a CT scan
3. (un radiographia especial de su cabesa, relaja- toda esta bien)
4. Regarding pimping= ABCs always, and
5. 80/40, HR 120 almost always means OR
6. Know the best way from Blood bank to OR, blood bank to IR
7. Don't complain about the "BS" traumas, "I can't believe those ER trolls called us for this," blah, blah, blah, because it won't ever stop
8. It is great to tell the floor nurses that you are "busy with trauma, and won't be able to start that IV" - it is really amazing what they can accomplish without an intern there.
9. Putting figure of 8 stitches in some drunk guy's head is actually pretty fun

perfectly stated. lol.