trauma activation and stratification

[Moore677 at aol.com]

We are a unique (I think anyway) Level I trauma center in that we (the 
attending trauma surgeons) receive every and all communication regarding trauma 
transfers, scene flights, and local trauma presenting on our front 
doorstep............we also know everytime one of our 4 helicopters lifts for a 
trauma...............

With this knowledge, we then determine if we see the patient, or the ED 
physician.............


Dell...............................

  
Forrest O. Moore, MD
Division of Trauma & Surgical Critical Care
East Texas Medical Center
1020 E. Idel
Tyler, TX 75701
Cell (903) 279-2123




In a message dated 10/2/2006 6:24:37 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
stryker.rn at myfastmail.com writes:
I wanted to know what other trauma centers do when they get radio/tele/phone 
calls for trauma and they take first report.



I have worked in one hospital where the nurse taking report from the 
paramedics would classify the trauma based on criteria of badness, and then it would 
be activated and paged out.  We had three levels, the first based purely on 
mechanism (MVC with rollover, Ped vs. auto, GSW to extremity), the second was 
mechanism and/or worrisome vital signs (GSW to chest, Fall > than 20 feet, HR > 
100, GCS < 13 etc.), and the third was very bad vitals (BP < 90, GCS < 8, HR > 
120).



I now work in a hospital which does not stratify the traumas and the trauma 
surgeons want a detailed report passed on to them.  Does anyone else do it this 
way, or do your nurses stratify and then activate based on criteria, before 
trauma hears about it?  Does anyone else have experience with it both ways, or 
worked to change from one to the other and what was your experience?



Thanks,

John Stryker
-- 
  John Stryker
  please reply to:
  nursestryker at yahoo.com