THE INJURED CHILD - AN APPROACH TO CARE

Despite over a decade of prevention efforts and numerous improvements in emergency medical services for children, trauma is still the leadin g cause of death in children and young adults in the United States. As our knowledge of the pathophysiology and patterns of injury accumulat es, the initial management and subsequent treatment of these pediatric trauma victims becomes more and more complex. The authors present a b rief overview of an approach to care and discuss priorities that shoul d be considered when treating severely injured children.