CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Unit is currently involved in many clinical projects. These
projects are spread over the many phases of care of the injured patient.
Pre-Hospital Phase (Where the injury occurs eg in a factory or on the roadside)
Analysis of performance indicators in pre-hospital care.
Analysis of the Inter-hospital communication linkages during interhospital transfer of
patients in South Western Sydney.
Resuscitation (Early hospital phase)
How we perform in relation to X-Raying the patient.
Missed injuries and the role of the Tertiary Survey (this is how good doctors are at
recognising injuries).
Decision tree prior to performing major surgery.
Development of theatre drapes to reduce cross infection.
Definitive Care Phase (First 48 hours after admission)
Missed injuries
Pattern of Death in injured patients
Rehabilitation
Evaluation of post traumatic stress disorder
Trauma Systems
Evaluation of interhospital transfers within the region.
Evaluation of avoidable mortality in trauma
Development of Internet Web Site
Ultrasound (F.A.S.T) in Trauma
FUTURE RESEARCH PROJECTS
The Department would like to expand its clinical research base. Clinical research in
the first instance is cheaper for the unit, as extensive animal and scientific
laboratories require large financial outlays. Our research focus will be on four fronts:
- Patient outcome: we will establish norms for outcome and analyse areas where our system
is better or sub-optimal than other world wide trauma systems.
- Reducing the complication rates and length of stay for injured patients: this would
involve more detailed nursing care and a new concept of case management. This will have a
direct benefit for you and the community as a whole.
- Identification of weaknesses in the Trauma System with comparison analysis of outcome
before and after improvement in care.
- Development of new procedures and techniques to improve resuscitation and early surgery
of the injured patient.
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CURRENT EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Early Management of Severe Trauma (EMST) - Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
This is a major course for doctors providing instruction on the early management of severe
trauma. Liverpool Hospital has one of the largest proportions of specialist doctors in
Australia to have undertaken this course. Professor Stephen Deane was involved in the
development of the EMST course in 1988 and over 2,000 doctors have now undertaken the
course at different venues around Australia. Liverpool Hospital would like to expand the
number of courses it hosts each year.
South Western Area Network (SWAN) Trauma Meeting
This annual meeting has now come to the forefront as one of Australia's leading Trauma and
Injury meetings and this year will feature six international speakers. The meeting aims to
provide a forum for health workers in the South West to update their trauma knowledge.
To see the '99 flyer, full program and registration form of SWAN VII Trauma Seminar, click
here.
Definitive Surgical Trauma Course (DSTC)
On August 3rd/4th, 1999 Liverpool Hospital will host Australia's
third DSTC Course. For details of the course click here.
To view the pdf file above, you will
need Adobe™ Acrobat Reader. If you click on the icon below you will navigate to their
download page to download the viewer. It is free product offered by Adobe™.
In 2000 the Course will be held on the 1st/2nd
August. To express your interest please email Charmaine Miranda (Charmaine.Miranda@swsahs.nsw.gov.au).
Participants at 1st DSTC Course
The Trauma and Injury unit provides twice yearly forums with the ambulance service
promoting cross fertilisation of ideas and improved skills.
Rural Trauma Course
In conjunction with the Federal Office of Road Safety and the Royal Australasian College
of Surgeons, Liverpool hosted the third Rural Trauma Course in Alice Springs in November
1996: one of the sessions is pictured below. This is one of the few courses of its type in
Australia and this year will lay the foundation for a curriculum which may be used in
other locations in remote Australia.
To see the full program for the Rural Trauma Course, click here.
Fellowship Training Program in Trauma
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons has chosen Liverpool Hospital as the training
centre for teaching trauma care to surgeons in the final years of their training.
Trauma Education Program
Every six months Liverpool Hospital runs an in-house Trauma Education Program for its
junior doctors and Nursing Staff.
Weekly Trauma Rounds
Every Friday the Trauma Department holds an educational round open to all members of staff
involved in trauma care. This gives Emergency Department and Intensive Care staff an
opportunity to follow up on patients they were involved in resucitating. The round
pictured below was a special one for we were joined by Carol Shagoury from the US, Ken
Boffard from South Africa and Tim Hodgetts from the UK.
Weekly Trauma Round
Every week nearly 50 doctors, nurses and paramedical staff attend an educational review of
the week's trauma cases.
Trauma Electives
Liverpool Hospital is one of the few Australian hospitals currently offering a pro-active
six week teaching course for final year overseas medical students. Book via our new internet
site.
Regional Nursing Education Program
Our Regional Trauma Coordinator, Nadia Nocera conducts monthly education sessions for
nurses in the five urban hospitals within this Area Health Service.
Regional Medical Education Program
Dr. Karel Kolkman has an extensive weekly program for area hospitals to provide updates on
trauma care.
Staff Interchange
The Emergency Department organises interchange between hospitals of staff for periods up
to four weeks for nurses employed at other hospitals who wish to come and gain experience
in trauma care at Liverpool Hospital.
Rural GP Training Program
The Unit offers the opportunity to General Practitioners to attend for up to a week to
update their trauma skills.
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FUTURE EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Internet Web Site
The unit has recently established the first Australian Trauma Web Site on the Internet. We
are keen to utilise it for continuing trauma and injury education. It is currently
regularly updated with new educational topics.
CD ROM
We are exploring the use of CD ROM technology to help with education.
LIBRARIES
We have established a comprehensive Trauma X-Ray library at the unit and hope to be
able to provide this as a resource for those interested in trauma care.
The unit has also amassed a huge clinical slide library which is available to nurses and
doctors involved in trauma education.
RECENT FUNDING
Liverpool Hospital Trauma and Injury Department would like to provide a centre of
innovation and excellence in Trauma Education. We can not progress with implementation of
our ideas however without funding.
1993
Road and Traffic Authority Grant: $12,500 for a study of drugs and alcohol in Trauma.
1994
Department of Health: $87,000 Health Outcome Grant to establish Computerised Regional
Trauma Registry (seeding grant).
1995
Motor Accident Authority of NSW: $82,000 funding for one year to continue with the
Regional Trauma Registry.
1998
Information Technology grant to upgrade registry.
1998
Motor Accident Authority of NSW: $80,000 funding to develop case management in Trauma.
1998
Web site development local IT initiatives $20,000.00.
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