Major trauma guidance

The National Audit Office states that immediate treatment for major trauma, which comprises serious and multiple injuries that are often life threatening, accounts for up to £400,000 of health expenditure and up to £3.7 billion in lost economic output every year. There is also significant emotional impact on patients and their families during the trauma and rehabilitation phases. So it is good news that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is publishing its long-awaited major trauma guidance, with five guidelines covering the management of fractures, complex fractures, major trauma, spinal injury and major trauma services.