Introduction
When I was a medical student, I had the opportunity to spend a week in the Emergency Room. The first patient I saw was a young man who’d been stabbed in the abdomen. He was sweating profusely, pale and clammy looking, and he had lost half his blood volume. When the surgeon came by to assess him, he told me that trauma cases were among his favorites. “They’re just easier than anything else,” he said with an easy smile.
The National Trauma Data Base (NTDB) defines trauma as “an injury that is life-threatening or could lead to significant impairment.”
The National Trauma Data Base (NTDB), which is maintained by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defines trauma as “an injury that is life-threatening or could lead to significant impairment.” In other words: if you survive it, it’s a trauma.
Trauma can be caused by gunshot wounds or car crashes–but not just those things! It also includes falls from height and burns over more than 20% of your body surface area (BSA). If someone cuts themselves badly enough on something sharp or jagged, that counts as a trauma too. And don’t forget about concussions; they’re considered serious enough injuries by the NTDB that they’re classified as a type of “traumatic brain injury” along with skull fractures and intracranial bleeding.*
Say’s Dr. Michael Hilton. trauma cases may seem scary at first glance because they involve severe injuries that might require immediate surgery in order to save a patient’s life–but there are many things you can do to prepare yourself for them when you see one come through ER doors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 percent of people who are seriously injured die before reaching a hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 30 percent of people who are seriously injured die before reaching a hospital. In fact, trauma is the leading cause of death for people under 44 years old.
Trauma can result from an accident, physical assault or abuse–and it’s especially common among young adults between the ages of 1 and 44 years old.
If you’re not trained in trauma response, always call 9-1-1 immediately when someone suffers an injury that seems like it might be traumatic.
If you’re not trained in trauma response, call 9-1-1 immediately whenever you see a patient who has suffered an injury that seems like it might be traumatic. If you are trained in trauma response, then you should still call 9-1-1 immediately and then begin treating the patient.
The most important thing is to get that patient to the hospital as soon as possible.
Most trauma patients require immediate surgery, so it’s important to stabilize them as quickly as possible.
Most trauma patients require immediate surgery, so it’s important to stabilize them as quickly as possible. To do this, use a trauma bag and check for signs of shock (e.g., pale skin with cool extremities). If your patient is exhibiting these symptoms, reassure them by explaining what you are doing and why.
Conclusion
Trauma is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition. The first step in treating trauma patients is to stabilize them as quickly as possible, so they can be transported to a hospital where they can receive the proper care. If you’re not trained in trauma response, always call 9-1-1 immediately when someone suffers an injury that seems like it might be traumatic.
