As cases of gun
violence fuel the debate over tougher gun laws across the United States, there
is one statistic that is positive. Hospitals in many states are seeing fewer
gunshot injuries according to doctors at one California trauma center. And for
those who suffer from these injuries or other severe trauma, doctors are
improving their chances of survival.
At one of the largest
trauma centers in the United States, a multi-disciplinary team of doctors and
nurses works quickly to save the life of a 60-year-old man suffering from
multiple stab wounds. Dr. Peep Talving is the trauma surgeon on call.
“When he was closing
his shop there was a robbery, and they stabbed him. He got six stab wounds to
the chest, one to the abdomen and two to the neck,” said Talving.
Methodical
processes
Dr. Demetrios
Demetriades, director of Trauma Services at the Los Angeles County - University
of Southern California Trauma Center, said when someone is severely hurt,
members of the trauma team are activated.
"Everybody in our
center is expected to be in the emergency room within five minutes of
activation. This means that they are there before the patient arrives. And each
person has a dedicated duty," he said.
Demetriades said this
methodical way of treating patients at a trauma center has lowered the
preventable trauma deaths to less than two percent.
Other advancements also
have improved survival rates. One of them is a change from having paramedics
stabilize the patient at the scene to what is called “scoop and run.”
“Don’t waste any
valuable time trying to stabilize the patient. Put him in the ambulance and
take him to the hospital to the trauma center immediately without any delay,”
said Demetriades.
Different
treatments
Talving said that is
especially critical with gunshot and stab wounds. “Particularly with the
penetrating trauma because if you got a vascular injury to the chest torso,
there is nothing else than surgery that will stop the bleeding.”
That is the case for
the elderly stabbing victim. Talving had to operate to stop the internal
bleeding. The concept of “scoop and run” also is one of the reasons why
18-year-old Juan Gallardo survived a drive-by shooting. Demetriades described
the injuries.
“This patient has a
gunshot injury to the heart and lung. Twenty years ago he would have been dead
and buried - had memorial services every year,” he said.
After surgery, though,
Gallardo is returning home two weeks after the shooting. “I’m planning on going
back to school and go to church.”
In another change, the
hospital operates selectively on patients with gunshots to the abdomen -
especially if no vital organs are hit. Not operating reduces medical
complications after surgery.
Additionally, in a
lesson learned from the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, Demetriades said
there's a new procedure instead of the traditional method of giving trauma
patients large amounts of intravenous fluids such as saline.
“Now we give blood
products. We restrict all types of fluids. We give fresh blood products and
again this has made a very significant difference,” he said.
Changes like these have
improved a patient's chances of survival in trauma centers by as much as 25%.
As for the elderly man who was stabbed, he is expected to make a full recovery.
Sources :
http://www.voanews.com/content/new-er-procedures-improve-survival-chances-for-trauma-victims/1646357.html
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