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Emergency Medicine & First Aid vocabulary · Emergency Assessment (ABC)

Secondary survey

Meaning in emergency medicine & first aid, with examples

/ˈsekənderi ˈsɜːrveɪ/nounCommon term

In emergency medicine & first aid, secondary survey means: A detailed head-to-toe examination and history taken after the primary survey, once life-threatening problems have been dealt with.

In Turkish: ikincil bakı, ikinci değerlendirme

How it is used

Used in trauma and ambulance care. It looks for injuries missed earlier and gathers background, often with the acronym SAMPLE: signs and symptoms, allergies, medications, past history, last meal and events. In unstable patients it may be done on the way to hospital.

Example sentences

  1. On secondary survey we found a deep cut on the back of his head.

  2. Do the secondary survey in the ambulance, we need to move now.

Common collocations

  • complete a secondary survey
  • head-to-toe secondary survey
  • secondary survey findings
  • primary surveyA fast, structured first check of a patient, usually in the ABCDE order, to find and deal with life-threatening problems.
  • mechanism of injuryHow an injury happened and what forces were involved, such as the height of a fall, the speed of a crash or the type of weapon.
  • vital signsThe basic measurements that show how the body is coping, usually pulse, breathing rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, temperature and level of consciousness.
  • handoverThe passing of a patient and the key information about them from one team to another, for example from an ambulance crew to emergency department staff.

More terms: Emergency Assessment (ABC)

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.