Trauma team
Encyclopedia
A Trauma team is a group of healthcare workers who tend to seriously ill or injured patients
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....

 who arrive at a hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 emergency department
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...

. The team is composed of a number of specific roles, with a typical team consisting of:
  • Team Leader - Usually an anesthesiologist, sometimes a general surgeon.
  • Anaesthetist - Anaesthetists play a central role in trauma. They manage the patient's airway, monitor vital signs and fluid administration. They also run intensive care units. Due to their extensive skills in trauma and critical care they are usually the doctor who carry out transfers.
  • Anaesthetic Assistant
  • General Surgeon
  • Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Emergency Physician
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • Two Nurses. (Three if no anaesthetic assistant)
  • In some hospitals, EMT
    Emergency medical technician
    Emergency Medical Technician or Ambulance Technician are terms used in some countries to denote a healthcare provider of emergency medical services...

    s or Paramedic
    Paramedic
    A paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...

    s are used as technicians for vascular access and lab procedures or microscopic features. In others, a Paramedic may actually take on the same duties as a Nurse, depending on the hospital's policies and state laws (Such as in Tennessee, where in-hospital Paramedics have similar scope to an RN.)
  • Radiographer
  • Scribe - a technician who records and documents specifics of patient care


Other specialities can be added depending on the nature of the injury, for example a neurosurgeon
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...

 will attend if there is a serious head injury. All staff should be trained in Advanced Trauma Life Support
Advanced Trauma Life Support
Advanced Trauma Life Support is a training program for medical doctors in the management of acute trauma cases, developed by the American College of Surgeons. Similar programs exist for nurses and paramedics...

 techniques. Each hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

 will have a list of criteria that require the activation of the trauma team, such as a fall of over 6 meters or a fracture
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...

 of 2 or more bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...

s.

The ATLS is designed such that the lone doctor can safely look after a multiply injured patient. Tasks are performed in sequence, one after the other. This 'vertical organization' is the least efficient method of proceeding, and where more than one member of staff is available, a team approach is usually employed. This 'horizontal organization' has been shown to lead to significant reductions in resuscitation times.

The trauma team is ideally made up of a group of doctors, nurses, operating department assistants, radiographers and other support personnel who have no other commitment that day than to receive and treat trauma patients. Obviously this is a very expensive arrangement, and most hospitals cannot afford this level of cover. If the doctors involved are residents, senior consulting staff should be immediately available if necessary. Many centres now have their trauma teams led by consultants.
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