GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
THE PURPOSE of this paper is to present an outline of the procedures used to induce anesthesia in traumatic surgery. Underlying principles and general considerations will be emphasized at the expense of detailed discussion of various technics.
1. Preparation of Patient
—Correction of shock is an essential preliminary of anesthesia and operation in traumatic conditions. If immediate intervention is not a question of life or death, attention should be directed to certain problems before the induction of anesthesia.
If the patient is conscious, or other persons able to give pertinent information are present, a careful history should be taken. This should be followed by as thorough a physical examination as is permitted by the patient's injury, supplemented by the necessary and feasible laboratory examinations.
Such an examination often reveals conditions that need attention more urgently than the injury which was at first considered to be of primary importance.
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