Book excerpt: Nursing Care of the Pediatric Trauma Patient provides the most comprehensive coverage available on nursing care of the pediatric trauma patient. Ideal for both emergency and trauma nurses, this reference discusses pediatric trauma across the continuum of care. This provides a broad perspective that enables the reader to use a systems approach that is consistent with the current health care environment. The book is organized into three sections. The first section, The Scope of Pediatric Trauma, covers issues such as epidemiology, prevention, and outcomes management. The second section, Clinical Concepts, covers issues such as mechanism of injury, pre-hospital care, initial resuscitation, rehabilitation, pain management, nutrition, family-centered care, and violence. Section Three, System Injuries, addresses specific body system issues and sequellae of trauma. Comprehensive content focuses specifically on nursing care of the pediatric trauma patient. The nurse's role in the continuum of care is consistent with the emphasis of the current healthcare environment. The organizational framework focuses on the systems approach and is divided into four sections. The section on The Scope of Pediatric Trauma covers issues such as epidemiology, prevention, outcomes management, and ethical issues. The Clinical Concepts section addresses mechanism of injury, pre-hospital care, initial resuscitation, rehabilitation, pain management, nutrition, family-centered care, and violence. The section on System Injuries covers specific body system issues. The section on Multisystem Issues covers thermal and submersion injuries as well as the unborn infant as trauma victim and sequellae of trauma. Independent and collaborative nursing interventions are emphasized in the System Injuries section. Timely issues such as outcomes management are discussed. Chapters written by nurses practicing in pediatric trauma ensure clinically relevant, up-to-date content.