Intrahospital trauma flowcharts : Cognitive support for optimization and acceleration of resuscitation room management of patients with severe injuries and polytrauma

Morbidity and mortality after severe injury remain high despite substantial improvements in management and care over the past two decades, especially in the early phase of treatment. This is mainly due to still existing and insufficient adherence to evidence-based guidelines. The latter are considered the backbone of optimum treatment of the severely injured; however, the complexity and format often still preclude their clinical acceptance and immediate use in the resuscitation room. As a result of a close colaboration between two French medical societies a series of user-friendly flowcharts were developed as cognitive aids to support early acute diagnosis and treatment for the resuscitation room management of severely injured patients. These have been translated and adapted to the current "S3 Guideline on the Clinical Management of Severe Injuries and Polytrauma" coordinated by the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF).