A morbidly obese 49-year-old female is referred from the Emergency Department to ICU following a motor vehicle crash and has left sided fractured ribs and a flail chest. She has seatbelt bruising over her chest wall and abdomen. She has had a CT scan of head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis that has shown left rib fractures and left sided lung infiltrates. There are no other injuries evident. She is receiving oxygen via a Hudson mask, is conscious and has significant left sided pleuritic chest pain.
Discuss the differences in management of this patient compared to a non-obese patient.
Not available.
The differences in management of this patient compared to a non-obese patient:
A different pattern of injury is to be expected:
Differences in managing the airway of a morbidly obese trauma patient:
Differences in managing the ventilation of a morbidly obese trauma patient:
Difference in managing haemodynamics in a morbidly obese trauma patient:
Difference in managing sedation, analgesia and C-spine protection in the morbidly obese trauma patient
Differences in the investigations
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