NSW Trauma vs Westmead Trauma Algorithm

The NSW Trauma App will ensure clinicians are supported in the care of the trauma patient and are able to manage to meet the needs of the specific traumatically injured patient. Clinicians in metropolitan, rural and remote areas require standardised, easy access to clinical support tools and up-to-date, evidence-based information to deliver optimal care. This includes the provision of trauma resources for pre-hospital and intra-hospital clinicians. All clinicians require portable and versatile amenity in trauma care that can be utilised on a smart phone or tablet operable in environments such as poor cellular or WiFi access locations. This app is developed for all medical, nursing and allied health clinicians of NSW Health and NSW Ambulance working across the trauma continuum within the state. The NSW Trauma App provides: • Localised guideline repository: The Guideline repository has been provided from bodies within NSW Health including Ambulance Service of NSW (ASNSW), Local Health Districts and trauma services. The guidelines and information, sourced from public domains, are referenced and acknowledged within the app. • Specific burn injury resources: The Institute of Trauma and Injury Management has worked with the NSW Burn Injury Network to provide Trauma resources specific to burns injuries including guidelines, checklists and additional resources. • Interactive Burns Calculator: The calculator enables automatic determination of the total body surface area (TBSA) of burn injury by allowing the user to mark the area of burn injury on a body chart. Additionally entering a weight, time since burn and fluid already administered allows automatic calculation of the fluid requirement for the first eight hours since the time of injury and the following 16 hours, expected urine output and maintenance fluids required. • Detailed NSW health facility information: Provides information such as site specific details, resource availability and contact information of more than 200 facilities. This enables onsite and remote clinicians to provide location specific advice, enabling the patient to receive timely treatment and progress through the trauma system, reducing unwarranted clinical variation. • Trauma related medical calculators, Interactive checklists and Clinical timestamps User evaluations show that the NSW Trauma App has resulted in improving access to user friendly trauma resources informing adult and paediatric care givers; including guidelines and facility information, educational material and updated evidence-based practice. Benefits of the app relate to patients, clinicians and the trauma system through access to appropriate and timely evidence-cased trauma care, improved patient experience, easy access to clinical support tools and improved standardisation of care.

PURPOSE The Westmead Hospital Trauma Clinical Algorithms have been developed utilising evidence-based information to enhance patient and clinical decision-making and improve efficiency in delivery of safe, standardised health care. INTENDED AUDIENCE The algorithms presented are intended primarily for health professionals and the following audiences, specifically at Westmead Hospital, Sydney NSW Australia: Physicians, nurses and other health care professionals Health care administrators Researchers OTHER AUDIENCES INCLUDING PATIENTS If you are a patient and accessing these algorithms, you should understand that the information presented is designed for the use of the expert audiences, identified above. You should seek assistance from your health care professional in interpreting these materials and applying them in individual cases. MEDICAL ADVICE The algorithms are evidence-based processes that are intended to assist physician and patient decisions regarding the health care of trauma patients at Westmead Hospital. Although designed to standardise decision plans for trauma, the algorithms cannot address the unique needs of each patient or the combination of resources available to a particular community or health care professional. The algorithms are not entirely inclusive or exclusive of all methods of reasonable care that can result in the same outcome. Deviation from these algorithms may be justified by individual circumstances. The use of these algorithms outside Westmead Hospital must be applied based on individual patient requirements using expert, professional judgment. DISCLAIMERS The algorithms are for use specifically at Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia. The creator and contributors to these algorithms do not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the use/application or resulting outcomes thereof these guidelines, both within or outside Westmead Hospital. Westmead Hospital does not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, and/or clinical efficacy of these algorithms.