Contents:

Protocol for paging Trauma team The Trauma Team Primary Survey Secondary Survey Radiology Placement Head injuries Spinal Injuries Chest Injury Blunt abdominal Trauma Penetrating abdominal Trauma Urological Injuries Eye Trauma

Hand Injuries Burns Carbon monoxide poisoning Obstetric Trauma Paediatric Trauma Paediatric resuscitation chart Hypothermia Universal Precautions Blood Alcohol Testing Patient transfers into Liverpool Patient transfers out of Liverpool Telephone numbers Acknowledgments

   Section 4F of the Traffic Act, 1909 requires, inter alia, that where a person of or above the age of fifteen years attends or is admitted into a hospital for examination or treatment as a result of a vehicle accident on a public street then it is the duty of any medical practitioner by whom the person is attended to take a sample of the person's blood for analysis. This Section of the Act has now been amended to have inserted the following:

   l(a) If there is no medical practitioner present to attend the person at the hospital, the blood or urine sample is to be taken by a Registered Nurse who is attending the person and who is accredited by a hospital as competent to perform the sampling procedure.

   This insertion has been made to facilitate the collection of blood or urine samples in isolated or unattended hospitals. It also provides legal indemnity for the collector and applies to Sections of the Act referring to sampling intoxicated drivers for drug testing.

   Amendments have been made to Section 4G, now requiring that the sample of blood be divided into two approximately equal portions instead of three portions. This change in sampling is in line with the practice recently introduced of transporting blood samples through security boxes (see Circular 90/42). One sample must be returned to the patient with pink copy of contents and the second sample and attached certificates must be placed in the Police Security Box present in all hospitals.

   New sampling kits will be prepared with only two sample bottles in them, however, existing kits should continue to be used and the third bottle disposed of. All staff are asked to take particular care in packaging bloods for this analysis. Caps should be finnly screwed down and then placed in protective plastic envelopes.

   All the above changes are effective from 1st January, 1991.

   Crimes Act 1990 (NSW) s414A.

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