- A Stallion: Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.
The initial evaluation and treatment of the pediatric trauma patient require an organized, thorough approach. All patients must be assumed to have multiple injuries until proven otherwise. Resuscitation efforts should be aggressive to avoid the onset of irreversible shock. The ability to recognize and effectively treat shock are all that are required in the vast majority of injured patents in order to gain stability. The adequate assessment and treatment of the ABCs will provide adequate treatment of the patient's other injuries, leading to an overall improvement in morbidity and mortality. Thus, the ABCs play an essential role in the initial evaluation and treatment of the pediatric trauma patient.