Imaging in Trauma : How to Plan Investigations for the Injured Patient

Trauma has been recognized in recent years as one of the most important health care issues still to be fully addressed.

A new awareness of deficiencies in the clinical management of injured patients has led to an urgent reappraisal of procedures and training in many hospitals.

Parallel to this, there has been a revolution in the field of radiology and diagnostic imaging.

This text guidance on the safe and effective application of imaging techniques to patients who have been injured - recommending appropriate techniques wherever they are known to be effective and highlighting cases where their use would be inappropriate. The use of basic conventional radiology is most comprehensively covered, recognizing that some of the newer modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging, will not be generally available for some years.

It is important to consider not only the production of good images, but also how to help clinicians to order them appropriately and to interpret them.

A full report from a trained radiologist may not be immediately available to junior medical staff trying to manage the patient in the A&E department.