Pre-Hospital and Emergency Department Resuscitative Thoracotomy (May 13, 2016)

This one-day practical course will improve participants decision making about the role of resuscitative thoracotomy and how to integrate this into the trauma resuscitation. It will be based on best current evidence and emphasise damage control principles. Participants will have maximal surgical exposure on porcine models and learn all the skills needed for achieving optimal outcomes from resuscitative thoracotomy. Participants will also learn the context of this technique, particularly when it is appropriate. The day will be led by a mixed faculty of surgeons, ED and anaesthesia medical staff, all of whom have recent hands-on experience of resuscitative thoracotomy.