Trauma medicine is a high-stakes world that requires reflexive decision-making, and the vast range of injuries and issues that the patients face in traumas can lend to unpredictable outcomes.
In a field with so many intangible factors, time and knowledge are crucial factors to success. In the fields of emergency medicine and trauma surgery, trainees and practitioners depend on quickly accessible information to help them make their decisions.
The minds behind this and other surgical education apps, DD Surgical (created by Drs. Dangleben and Lee), target this app at advanced users–likely surgeons and emergency medicine physicians. The app is available for the iOS platform, and the authors include other trauma/critical care faculty from the Lehigh Valley Health Networks surgical department.
The home screen allows the user to quickly access the three main features of the app: Trauma Scenarios, Organ Injury Scale, and the Quiz sections
Trauma Scenarios presents 27 cases of injury presentations. The case opens with a scenario, image, and a description. The “Next Page” button allows access to the discussion of the case, which then includes further diagnosis, management and treatment.
The Organ Injury Scale provides direct access to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) Organ Injury scale, which allows the user to explore the injury scales of different organs along with the definition of each classification.
The Quiz section allows the user to answer multiple-choice questions and review the answers. The app is linked to the Apple Game Center and compares the user’s score to friends and other users.
The app has many contributing authors, and while the content receives the benefits of multiple perspectives, the formatting shows a lack of uniformity. Also, there is an inconsistency of references throughout the app (again related to the author of a particular topic).
Price:
- Free in the App Store
Likes:
- In-depth trauma guide
- Ability to test your knowledge and compete against others using the Apple Game Center
- Free
Dislikes:
- Inconsistent references throughout app
- Formatting inconsistencies are more a nuisance than a lack of functionality
Conclusion:
- An app for more advanced users who will encounter trauma scenarios
- While best used as an educational tool, it could be further advanced to help classify and quantify management strategies (particularly in relation to the Organ Injury Scale).
