Did you know: What happens when a trauma call comes in?

Trauma calls are triaged by the state depending on availability. In our area, most come to USA Health University Hospital due to our status as a Level I Trauma Center.

When a trauma patient comes to University Hospital, a lot of things happen in a short amount of time. The alert is played over head in every area of the hospital. The core trauma team is from the department of surgery and includes a board certified trauma surgeon and several residents. They are joined by respiratory therapists and anesthesiologists along with nurses from the emergency room and students, as we are an academic medical center.

Radiology is on alert and keeps the CT scanner free while the operating room is also held in case there is an immediate need. The ICU also works to get a bed ready.

The team reviews the patient in the trauma bay of the emergency department with 20 or so people around the patient ready to do their part. There’s a chart on the wall showing where everyone stands – everyone in the room has a role and they know their role. No one has to tell each other what to do. In just a few minutes, they know what needs to be done next. Based on the injuries, the patient is then typically taken to the CT scanner or straight to surgery.

Part of what makes University Hospital a Level 1 Trauma Center is that the attending trauma surgeon on call responds within 15 minutes of the trauma call. This rapid response is tracked by the hospital and the state. USA also has anesthesia and the OR ready so a patient could be in surgery within 10 minutes at any time of the day. USA also has neurosurgeons available within 30 minutes 24 hours of the day. By the time they arrive, they are ready to begin surgery.