Posted: April 19th, 2015

Management of traumatic brain injury

Assessment task: Report

This task requires the development of a report (2500 words ± 10%) that investigates the role that paramedics play in improving patient outcomes (including survival rates and reduction of disability) in specific areas of trauma management.

The intended audience are paramedics in Australia and New Zealand, and the report should be in a format that could be submitted for publication in a paramedic journal, for example the Journal of Paramedic Practice.

The following steps should be followed to produce the report:

Step 1. Read the attached article titled “The OPALS Major Trauma Study: impact of advanced life-support on survival and morbidity.”

This research studied the survival to hospital discharge of patients sustaining major trauma, and compared survival before and after implementation of an advanced-life support program in Canada. Following implementation of advanced life-support programs there was no change in mortality or morbidity for major trauma patients. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 9 had a higher mortality following introduction of ALS.

Step 2. Select a type of injury Management of traumatic brain injury where patient outcomes have been reported in the setting of advanced life-support delivered by paramedics.

Step 3. Conduct a literature search to ensure that you have enough evidence to write this report.

This should be done through a database such as PubMed.

Writing the report

The following structure is recommended:

Introduction (approximately 500 words). This section “sets the scene” for the reader. You should clearly describe the topic you are investigating (for example, evidence for paramedic interventions in the management of traumatic brain injury), inform the reader why this is an important area of study, and briefly explain how you are going to report on the topic. The introduction must reference the OPALS study. This requires a brief summary of the OPALS study methods and outcomes. The intent is to acknowledge the study and to address the question of whether any ALS intervention improves outcomes in severe trauma.

Methods (approximately 250 words). Describe the methods used to search for evidence and the inclusion/exclusion criteria used. You should list the search terms and databases used to conduct the search.

Results (approximately 250 words). This section lists the evidence that addresses your research topic. You will need to analyse the evidence and describe strengths and weaknesses. For example, were there weaknesses in the study design? How may the results apply to paramedic practice in Australia?

Discussion (approximately 1250 words). What are the implications for paramedic practice? Is there a need for further research due to gaps in the existing evidence? Are the findings reflected in current paramedic practice guidelines? What recommendations could you make regarding current or future paramedic practice?

Conclusion (approximately 250 words). This final section summarises the report, but does not include any new information. There should be sufficient information in the conclusion for the reader to understand the focus of your study and the outcomes of your investigation of the evidence.

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