Only practice leads to excellence, something that Top Doctors member César Galo García Fontecha, a pediatric traumatologist, knows well. These days, the doctor is the co-director of the course ‘Initial Pediatric Trauma Care’ (AITP), aimed at healthcare personnel to strengthen their training when treating children with polytrauma. To make the experience more interesting, the attendees will test the knowledge acquired with real children, who will simulate injuries with make-up.
A polytrauma is defined as a multiple injury caused by several blows, and is usually caused by traffic accidents, falls from heights and falls on a bicycle, among other reasons.
The doctor, who will give the course at Hospital Vall d’Hebron in Barcelona, pointed out that “the course basically prepares professionals to act immediately after the polytrauma occurs”. In the event of a multiple injury, the first step is to protect the equipment and the patient, alert the medical services and the police, if appropriate through 112. With a first impression, called the ‘pediatric assessment triangle’, the general appearance of the patient should be considered. First, the most serious injuries are treated and in a second assessment, immobilizations of parts of the patient’s body are carried out as necessary. Only then will the person be transferred to the hospital, where he or she will be treated more thoroughly.
Photo provided by Dr. César Galo García Fontecha