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.
Intra-abdominal pressure in the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
Better Practice Guidelines
Quality Assurance and Performance Indicators
Pre-Hospital Phase (Where the injury occurs eg in a factory or on the
roadside)
Development of Better Pratice Guidelines.
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.
Trauma Team function.
Definitive Care Phase (First 48 hours after admission)
Missed injuries
Pattern of Death in injured patients
Rehabilitation
Better Practice Guidelines development
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
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CURRENT EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS
Liverpool Hospital is a leader in trauma education. Not only are we a teaching
hospital, but a learning hospital. To us, to share knowledge in trauma, is a fundamental
philosophy for which we constantly strive.
Early Management of Severe Trauma (EMST) - Royal Australasian College of
Surgeons
EMST is run by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Liverpool Hospital coordinates
two courses per annum. Often the course directors are Dr John Crozier, Dr Scott
D’Amours or Dr Michael Sugrue. The EMST (ATLS) is coordinated through the College of
Surgeons in Melbourne, and enquiries should be sent to them.
South Western Area Network (SWAN) Trauma Meeting
The SWAN Trauma Meeting is rated by 85% of people who attend as ‘the best meeting of
any they have ever attended’. It is an interactive, dynamic, effervescent meeting
where real trauma issues are discussed, usually with an international faculty of more than
six speakers. SWAN XII in 2004 promises to be Australia's most exciting trauma meeting
with seven international speakers. Please click here to
view previous programs.
Definitive Surgical Trauma Course (DSTC)
This course for surgeons is run annually in late July. It is an exciting hands-on,
practical course in decision making and operative trauma. Developed in Australia
with links to IATSIC and supported by the RACS, it is aimed at senior advanced trainees
and surgeons. For details on the course click here.
Attached please find an Expression
of Interest form with dates and contact details for DSTC courses to be held in Sydney, Melbourne and
Auckland in 2004.
Participants at 1st DSTC CourseWorld Congress on the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome
Following on from the success of the inaugural meeting held in 2001, the World Congress
on the Abdominal Compartment Syndrome will be held in Noosa in December 2004. It
will provide an envronment for interaction, discussion, definition, research planning,
consolidation of knowledge and even some didaction in the field of intra-abdominal
hypertension and the Abdominal Compartment Sydnrome. The meeting will be based upon
proven, successful, interactive formula with emphasis on science and clinical care. For
more information click here.
Ambulance Service
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.
International Trauma Courses
India: Professor Stephen Deane, in conjunction with Johannesburg Trauma and the
Indian Trauma Society has been involved in establishing the Inaugural National Trauma
Management Course in April 2000 in Delhi.
Pakistan: Associate Professor Hasnain Zafar (former Honorary Trauma Fellow at
Liverpool Hospital) has been involved with Liverpool Hospital in establishing a foundation
Trauma Course in Islamabad. This is an exciting adventure for the sub continent.
Portugal: Establishment of DSTC course in December 2003
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 RoundEvery 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. Check our student
visits web page, email the Trauma
Department or call 61 2 9828 3927 for more information.
Maria Seger Nursing Scholarship
The Maria Seger Scholarship is an annual nursing scholarship awarded to individuals who
would like to spend a month in Liverpool Hospital. For more information please click here or call 61 2 9828 3931.
Regional Nursing Education Program
The Liverpool Hospital Regional Trauma Coordinator conducts monthly education sessions for
nurses in the five urban hospitals within the South Western Sydney Area Health Service.
Regional Medical Education Program
The Deputy Director of the Trauma Department 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 and have just
produced a CD ROM of the DSTC course.
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 Gr ant 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.
2000
Project Officer for development of Better Practice Guidelines $16,000.
2002
Better Practice Guideline Development: $110,000 from the Institute of Trauma and Injury Management.
2003
Better Practice Guideline Development: $110,000 from the Institute of Trauma and Injury
Management.
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