[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/08\/life-of-trauma-doctor-50ph\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/08\/life-of-trauma-doctor-50ph\/","headline":"Time Is Crucial: Insight into a Trauma Center","name":"Time Is Crucial: Insight into a Trauma Center","description":"Learn what a day in the life of a trauma doctor entails from the experts at UPMC.","datePublished":"2019-08-27","dateModified":"2024-05-10","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","name":"UPMC","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/upmc\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/traumadoc_blg.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/traumadoc_blg.jpg","height":327,"width":754},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/08\/life-of-trauma-doctor-50ph\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z"],"wordCount":727,"articleBody":"Hospital emergency departments have gotten the Hollywood treatment over the past 25 years. Current TV shows like Grey\u2019s Anatomy, Chicago Med, and New Amsterdam attempt to capture the fast-paced feeling of emergency departments, in effect mining trauma for drama.Real-life emergency departments don\u2019t exactly match their fictional counterparts. However, they often do operate in high-stakes situations, with time a crucial factor in whether a patient lives or dies. This is especially true for hospitals with trauma centers, which treat severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, gunshots, or stab wounds.So, what exactly is a day in a trauma center like? And what is the difference between an emergency department and a trauma center?What Is a Trauma Center?Most hospitals have an emergency department, where patients with emergent injuries and illnesses can be treated without an appointment. Some of these patients may have life-threatening symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or severe stomach pain.However, many hospitals are not equipped to deal with traumatic injuries. For patients who have injuries from a car crash, serious fall, severe burn, gunshot, stabbing, or other serious injury, a trauma center is the appropriate level of care. Select hospitals have a trauma center in addition to their emergency department.The emergency department serves as the entry point for all patients; those who have traumatic injuries are routed to the trauma center and treated by a highly specialized team. These specialized clinicians staff the center 24\/7. They are trained to treat the most extreme injuries and usually include trauma surgeons, emergency medicine physicians, neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, radiologists, cardiac surgeons, and trauma nurses.The Importance of First RespondersCare often begins before the patient enters the hospital.\u00a0First responders might not be part of the official\u00a0trauma team, but they can play an important role in the patient\u2019s outcome. Paramedics and other first responders will evaluate the patient\u2019s condition and determine if they can be treated at a regular emergency department, or if they require care at a trauma center.Medically trained responders — including paramedics, police officers, firefighters, and others — often are the first to interact with a patient who has suffered a traumatic injury. Stopping a patient\u2019s bleeding is the top priority in most trauma situations, and stabilizing the patient for a trip to the hospital are among the first responder\u2019s top priorities.Emergency responders also can engage\u00a0STAT MedEvac\u00a0air medical services. The STAT MedEvac crew, including a pilot, flight paramedic, and nurse, can provide fast transport to trauma centers, attempting to stabilize the patient along the way.\u2018A Very Complex Dance\u2019Time is crucial.\u00a0A major factor in whether a patient lives or dies in a trauma situation is time \u2013 especially when it comes to stopping bleeding. The White House and Department of Homeland Security in 2015 created the \u201cStop the Bleed\u201d campaign in response to increased gun violence and mass casualty events.When a patient arrives at one of UPMC\u2019s trauma centers, the trauma team begins its effort at resuscitating and stabilizing. The process could include drawing or giving blood, starting IVs, taking x-rays, intubating, and more. The trauma team works head to toe, following the ABC method of \u201cairway, breathing, circulation.\u201dThinking on Your FeetWhat happens in the trauma center will decide where the patient goes next: either for more scans, to the intensive care unit (ICU), or directly to the operating room.In a patient\u2019s initial procedure, the surgeon will first aim to stop bleeding and fix the initial, life-threatening injuries. After that, the patient will go to the ICU for more stabilization and resuscitation before potentially going back into surgery later for more-thorough repairs.A successful trauma team requires certain characteristics. Trauma cases can change quickly. Physicians, nurses, and other personnel who work those cases must be nimble enough to address any change.Certain skills are crucial in trauma cases, including:Critical thinking.Thinking on your feet.Adapting to changing situations.Processing information quickly.Making quick, reasoned decisions.\u2018We Need to Be Here\u2019Trauma medicine is difficult, but it can be gratifying. When a gunman opened fire at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in October 2018, UPMC\u2019s trauma staff rushed to answer the call.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on August 27, 2019, and was last reviewed on February 6, 2023."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2019","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"08","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/\/08\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Time Is Crucial: Insight into a Trauma Center","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2019\/08\/life-of-trauma-doctor-50ph\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]