Presented By: Judith H. Poole, Ph.D, MHA/MBA, RNC-OB, C-EFM
December 2010

Assessment and care of the trauma patient is no longer limited to an experienced emergency department staff. Trauma during pregnancy can occur at any time and have significant consequences for the woman, her unborn child, and the family unit. Effective multi-disciplinary teams can quickly assess and triage the pregnant trauma victim to enable the best possible outcomes. This presentation will focus on how the primary and secondary assessments are modified when the victim is pregnant. Also discussed will be the urgent and emergent care of the pregnant trauma victim.

Objectives:

• Outline the significant physiologic adaptations of pregnancy as related to the trauma patient.
• Discuss the role of obstetric assessments with the primary and secondary survey performed on the trauma patient.
• Discuss the role of multi-disciplinary team management of the pregnant trauma victim.