Are You Prepared to Manage the Blast Injury Patient?

More than 15,000 explosive related incidents occur in the United States each year! Blast events are typically thought of during times of war or as rare major events; unfortunately blast events are actually occurring daily throughout the country. Fortunately, most blast events are unintentional. Despite a growing frequency, limited time is preparing to manage patients following these potentially catastrophic events, which frequently result in multiple patients, essential critical care medicine, and can overwhelm trauma systems. Come join this engaging conversation that goes in depth into blast injury physiology and patient care. This presentation will discuss the four phases of blast events that can injure patients and describe management strategies for common injury patterns. Explore why critical care transport providers must prepare for this patient population, and help expand the conversation about this exploding patient population. Attendees will walk away better prepared to anticipate and manage the injuries blast victims may experience.