Trauma is the major cause of avoidable death in children in the UK. For many injured children, their initial contact with medical care is with the ambulance service. The main focus of this article is paediatric prehospital trauma care in the UK. It identifies its strengths and highlights areas where improvements are needed. For comparison’s sake, mention is also made of the prehospital care for traumatized children in the USA, which is part of a system termed ‘Emergency Medical Services for Children’ (EMSC). Training and equipment issues, field triage and the ABC of advanced life support of injured children is examined.
Future directions for this important aspect of emergency care are discussed, as are issues relevant to research and audit in this area.
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