Georgia Serious Injury Victims Are Treated Best At A Trauma Center
Our firm’s Georgia attorney’s have represented serious injury accident victims for many years who have been treated at various trauma centers. In Atlanta, most trauma patients are treated at Grady which is a Level-I facility. Trauma is any life-threatening occurrence, either accidental or intentional, that causes injuries. The leading causes of trauma are motor vehicle accidents, falls, and assaults. Trauma is the leading cause of death among Americans under 44 years of age. A trauma center is a hospital equipped to provide comprehensive emergency medical services to patients suffering traumatic injuries. Trauma centers were established as the medical establishment realized that traumatic injuries often require complex and multi-disciplinary treatment, including surgery in order to give the victim the best possible chance for survival and recovery.
In order to qualify as a trauma center, a hospital must meet certain criteria as established by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Trauma centers vary in their specific capabilities and are identified by “Level” designation; Level-I (Level-1) being the highest to Level III (Level 3) being the lowest (some states have four designated levels, in which case Level IV (Level 4) is the lowest).
Higher levels of trauma centers will have trauma surgeons available, including those trained in such specialties as neurosurgeons and orthopaedic surgeons as well as highly sophisticated medical diagnostic equipment. Lower levels of trauma centers may only be able to provide initial care and stablisation of a traumatic injury and arrange for transfer of the victim to a higher level of trauma care. The operation of a trauma center is extremely expensive. Some areas are under-served by trauma centers because of this expense. For example, in Florida, Orlando Regional Medical Center was built to serve five counties but currently serves more than 20. A trauma center will often have a helipad for receiving patients that have been airlifted to the hospital. In many cases, persons injured in remote areas and transported to a distant trauma center by helicopter can receive faster and better medical care than if they had been transported by ground ambulance to a closer hospital which is not designated as a trauma center. In almost every case, the sooner a trauma patient receives the expert care afforded by a trauma center, the better the outcome.
