Title: Review the literature regarding the incidence of trauma in austere expedition environments. Evaluate patterns of anticipated injury (common themes and environment specific injury risk) across hostile environments.
Pre-hospital Trauma
Formative Assessment
Paper Briefing
Background – Pre-hospital trauma is most commonly discussed in the context of resource-rich countries with well-established
healthcare infrastructure. The principles are pre-hospital trauma care are standard but their implementation in remote or
extreme environments is open to much greater interpretation and controversy. Severe trauma is not common on expedition
but associated with high morbidity, potential mortality and frequently associated with the need for evacuation.
Assignment details
the incidence of trauma in austere expedition environments. Evaluate patterns of anticipated injury (common themes and
environment specific injury risk) across hostile environments.
Preparation – In order to be able to complete the evaluation, you need to conduct thorough background research to:
1. Improve your knowledge and general understanding of injury patterns in remote environments
2. Evaluate the evidence behind which activities on expedition carry higher risk of injury. 3. Consider patterns of trauma as themes in specific environment.
The style of the written assignment should be in the form of an article for submission to a peer reviewed academic journal.
Although a specialist subject, the article should be written for a wider audience of healthcare personnel with a general interest
in the topic (e.g. lead article in British Medical Journal).
The marking descriptors are divided into the following categories:
• Introduction: succinctly introduce the topic of the essay and include a brief description of your outline plan for your
essay (how it is organised and an indicator of your subsequent direction of thinking); 10% of marks
• Structure and organisation: structure your essay in a logical manner with appropriate use of headings and paragraphs.
Assignment word count not exceeded. Move the reader through the theories, evidence and suggested actions you propose;
15% of marks
• Knowledge and Understanding: show how you have grasped the core concepts that make up the topic; 25% of marks
• Critical Appraisal: demonstrate your ability to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the opinions and theories you
present from the resources and from your own stance. In your conclusions, show the use of the critical balancing of
alternative interpretations of the resources if these are appropriate; 30% of marks
• Conclusion: Summarise work. Include a section on how your findings can be translated into action specifically related to
the objectives of this assignment; 20% of marks
● The manuscript should be presented as double-spaced text, in Calibri or Arial font, size 11 or 12.
convention