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Pediatric Trauma Life Support

Pediatric trauma can be caused by head injuries, motor vehicle accidents, falls, burns and blunt trauma. The pediatric trauma team consists of a variety of medical specialists aimed at keeping the pediatric patient in stable condition.

  1. Methods

    • There are different ways to perform pediatric trauma life support. After determining if there is a pulse or breathing, CPR may be performed. Before giving breaths, you have to open the airway by doing the head tilt, chin lift, or jaw thrust. Breaths can be given by mouth, with a bag-valve-mask ventilator, or nasopharyngeal tube or oropharyngeal tube.

    Problems

    • With pediatric trauma victims, problems can be expected to occur. Some problems include a hemorrhage, difficult intubation, a cervical spine injury and hypothermia, according to the National Institutes of Health.

    Courses

    • Courses are given to certify medical professionals in trauma life support. The pediatric trauma life support course teaches how to assess and manage the pediatric patient, how to manage the airway and give chest compressions, fluid resuscitation and how to mobilize the patient's spine.

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