December 2021 - SEM Trainers

Trauma Manikins – Surgical Procedures Involved & Application

Traumatic injuries have a great chance of becoming the third-largest cause of death around the world. Trauma is no different than any other illnesses and injuries that arise anywhere near the top ten list. The people working in emergency care make constant efforts to improve the care provided to traumatic patients. For that many other metrics have also been added for them as an evolution of care.

In a dynamic condition, patients can be treated with the help of healthcare simulation. Also, medical simulation is used to deliver, record and assess the applications of life-saving interventions and treatments in a high frequency and low consequence environment. This has resulted in the development of a class of manikins that are called ‘Trauma Manikins’.

Introduction To Trauma Manikins

Trauma Manikin is a surgical simulation manikin used for medical professionals, to teach them surgical skills, including the American College of Surgeons’ Advanced Trauma Of Life Support (ATLS) program. At the time of combat situations, advanced surgical skills training is provided through Trauma Manikins. These surgical trainers are preferably used at the place of a simulation trainer by both instructor and medical students for teaching emergency trauma surgical skills.

As for any manikin-based clinical simulation, there are many manufacturers that design ‘Trauma Manikins’ based on the traumatic situation they are going to be used for the demonstration. The educators and administrators have a tendency to pick a manikin that has the label ‘Trauma Care’ as according to them, that particular kind must be the best to meet their individual needs. Not only this, but there are some manikins which are specially endorsed by different organisations to be the only manikin that is suitable comprehensively for a specific course. As it becomes important for the instructors to have the specific manikins for the specific courses and not the ones that do not meet their needs.

Surgical Procedures

Basically, a ‘Trauma Manikin’ can be used to simulate the needed experience or skill set of a particular profession which is related to the care that a medical professional is considered to deliver in a scenario that involves traumatic injury. These manikins may include any or all of the following simulation healthcare capabilities and are used to train on the following surgical procedures:

Cricothyrotomy
Percutaneous tracheostomy
Needle decompression
Chest tube insertion
Pericardiocentesis
Diagnostic peritoneal lavage
Intravenous cutdown
Humans like weight and issues related to musculoskeletal stabilization and transfer
Articulable head and neck to allow for cervical spine manipulation and immobilization
Haemorrhage control including exhibiting haemorrhage, ability to cease blood flow with well-aimed direct pressure, tourniquet, or surgical intervention
Airway intervention including intubation or other advanced airway devices, needle and/or surgical cricothyrotomy, tracheostomy, insertion of NPA and OPA, and other less common airway interventions
Needle decompression of the chest
Chest tube maintenance, and monitoring
Surgical interventions for traumatic injuries
Various ultrasound examinations
Simulated open and closed musculoskeletal injuries
Amputations and various levels of simulated bleeding
Additional simulation of associated signs and symptoms related to patient presentation after a traumatic injury
Often these manikins are also “designed or improved to be hard-wearing or shock-resistant” in order to be used in environments that mirror more common points of injury sites.

There are various kinds of manufacturers who have their own way of providing varying degrees of simulated skills through trauma manikins and combinations of the above and other different capabilities to satisfy the demands at different levels of providers.

Some specific examples that do not include trainers but only consist of manikins that are specifically built for traumatic situations, being different from other manikins that are able to simulate some trauma skills in addition to their normal capabilities:

Nasco Healthcare

Trucorp company

Truman Trauma X

3B Scientific

OEI tactical casualty simulators

Simulaids

Application in Trauma Simulation

There is a trend both in peer-reviewed literature and in the industry investment in trauma simulation – The capability to simulate the trauma scenarios that are more and more complex and realistic with the use of high fidelity, high technology, manikin based simulation.

This has given rise to the increased usage and coordination of technical and non-technical skills in the delivery of simulated patient care. The function and coordination of this care eventually lead to more research being done on how to accomplish the topmost level of quality and efficiency in the delivery of trauma care.

IV Injection Procedure – Understand The Types & Uses

The medical term ‘Intravenous’ is derived from the words ‘Into the vein’ and some medications are given through intravenous injection to send them directly into your vein using a needle or tube. Intravenous (abbreviated as IV) Injection is a medical technique that is used to provide food and other nutrition to those who cannot consume it by mouth. The invention of this technique is said to have been done in the early 1400s but it was brought to use in the 1900s when it was recorded completely safe and effective. This IV injection technique is also used to administer other medical therapies such as blood products or electrolytes to correct electrolyte imbalances.

Types of IV Injection Processes

There are four types of IV injection procedures that are used for different medical purposes:

1. IV Push

IV Push is also called ‘Bolus’. In this type of IV injection, a syringe is inserted into the catheter to send a quick into the bloodstream. This might be done either at a quick pace or slowly, over the course of a few minutes. Some medications, like IV plain solution, are administered right after IV Push to force the medicine into the bloodstream and is called IV Flush.

2. IV Infusion

IV Infusion is a controlled administration of medication into the bloodstream in time duration. Two types of IV Infusion uses either gravity or a pump to send the medication into the catheter:

2.1 Pump Infusion: This method is quite common in the US and is used when the medication dosage is fixed and controlled.

2.2 Drip Infusion: This method uses gravity to send the medication in a fixed amount over a set period of time. With a bag, the solution drips slowly into the catheter for the medication.

Do check – Quality-rich & durable I.V Injection Arm P50/1

3. IV Piggyback

This administration is used at the same time with the IV Infusion and is termed as secondary IV or IV Piggyback. This also helps in the prevention of multiple IV lines in the same person. At the time of this medication, a primary bag is held lower than the secondary bag so that a smooth flow is not hindered.

4. Central Venous Catheter

Long term medications for treatments like Chemotherapy, demands Central Venous Catheter instead of standard IV Catheter and is inserted into a vein in the neck, chest, arm or groin area. CVC lasts for a larger period of time than the standard IV line for many weeks and months. It is basically of three types:

Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC)
Tunnelled Catheter
Implanted Port.

Learn more – Useful Central Venous Cannulation Simulator

Uses Of IV Injections

1. Medication

Medications are mixed with fluids through an IV route to administer when a fast onset of action is desired. In extreme high blood pressure, IV Antihypertensives are given to control any organ damage. IV medications are also used to cure chronic health conditions such as Cancer.

2. Fluid treatment

Fluid solutions are given as a part of ‘Volume Expansion’ which consists of administration through a fluid-based solution to aim at the specific organs of the body that require more amount of water. There are two kinds of volume expander:

2.1 Crystalloids: These are aqueous solutions of mineral salts or other soluble molecules. The most commonly used crystalloid fluid is Normal Saline.

2.2 Colloids: These contain large insoluble molecules like gelatin. Blood is also a colloid.

3. Blood products

A blood product is basically any component of blood which is collected from a Donor in order to transfuse blood. Blood Transfusions are used in case of surgeries or massive blood loss in someone’s body. Modern blood transfusion methods use components of blood, whereas, early blood transfusions used whole blood.

4. Nutrition

Some people are unable to get nutrition normally by eating and digesting food. Then Parenteral IV Nutrition is used that consists of intravenous solutions containing salts, dextrose, amino acids, lipids and vitamins. If a person is receiving nutrition intravenously, it’s called Total Parenteral Nutrition. If a person is receiving some of the nutrition intravenously, it’s called Partial Parenteral Nutrition or Supplemental Parenteral Nutrition.

5. In sports

Being a former technique before, the World Anti Doping Agency prohibits intravenous injections of more than 100ml per 12 hours, except if there is a medical condition, as they believed IV therapy changed blood test results, urine mask results and it prohibited substances in such a way that got disappeared from the body to pass an anti-doping test.

6. Imaging

The administration of a contrast agent is inserted into the vein to clearly distinguish the internal parts of the body through the process of imaging. This also helps in the increased visibility of blood vessels or other features.

7. Hangover treatment

A non-prescription IV solution of minerals and vitamins was sold as a hangover cure and general wellness remedy in the 1960s. Intravenous therapy is also used by people to correct electrolyte and vitamin deficiencies that began because of alcohol consumption.

Side Effects Of IV Injections

Though IV injections are generally safe, they still might cause both mild and dangerous side effects such as allergic reactions, infection, damage to blood vessels and injection site, air embolism and blood clots.

This was a brief article on the intravenous (IV) injections, its types, their essential uses with side effects. Feel free to share your queries and feedback in the comment section below, SEM Trainers & Systems would be glad to assist you.