Major trauma: assessment and initial management

Treating breathing problems

Major trauma can cause breathing problems so the ambulance team should check the person's breathing. If they are not able to breathe on their own, they may need to have a breathing tube put in. A general anaesthetic (a drug that puts a person to sleep) is given by a doctor before the breathing tube is placed into the person's mouth and down into their windpipe. If a doctor is not available, or if the breathing tube doesn't work well enough, the ambulance team should use other methods to help the person breathe until they can be taken to a major trauma centre or a trauma unit.