The Trauma Team Concept and Its Implementation in a District General Hospital

Overview

Journal Ann R Coll Surg Engl

Specialty General Surgery

Date 1995 Jan 1

PMID 7717645

Citations 10

Authors

A Sakellariou

P J McDonald

R H Lane

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

A trauma team approach to the initial assessment, investigation and treatment of potentially seriously injured patients has been implemented at a district general hospital. Team members are mobilised by an emergency paging system which is activated when a patient fulfils one or more of a predetermined list of historical, pathophysiological and anatomical criteria. Aspects of the function of the trauma team were assessed after 10 months of operation. The problems encountered and solutions implemented are discussed. As a result, the structure and function of the trauma team has been modified and improved. Although hospitals differ in workload and staffing, the trauma team concept is possible and achievable at no extra cost. Trauma teams maximise existing resources and constitute a valid approach to the early management of the irregular presentation of the severely injured patient to district general hospitals. The establishment of such teams with members who should be ATLS trained, should be a current priority in district general hospitals in the UK.

Citing Articles

[Composition of trauma room teams : Reality experienced in 12 transregional trauma centers].

Pedersen V, Waydhas C, Clemens V, Ozkurtul O, Hackenberg L, Pflaging T Unfallchirurgie (Heidelb). 2025; .

PMID: 39945795 DOI: 10.1007/s00113-024-01532-z.

Do patient outcomes differ when the trauma team leader is a surgeon or non-surgeon? A multicentre cohort study.

Taylor J, Gezer R, Ivkov V, Erdogan M, Hejazi S, Green R CJEM. 2023; 25(6):489-497.

PMID: 37184823 DOI: 10.1007/s43678-023-00516-z.

The Effect of a Multidisciplinary Trauma Team Leader Paradigm at a Tertiary Trauma Center: 10-Year Experience.

Lavigueur O, Nemeth J, Razek T, Maghraby N Emerg Med Int. 2020; 2020:8412179.

PMID: 32855826 PMC: 7443032. DOI: 10.1155/2020/8412179.

A quality-improvement approach to effective trauma team activation.

Verhoeff K, Saybel R, Fawcett V, Tsang B, Mathura P, Widder S Can J Surg. 2019; 62(5):305-314.

PMID: 31364348 PMC: 7006360. DOI: 10.1503/cjs.000218.

Coma of unknown origin in the emergency department: implementation of an in-house management routine.

Braun M, Schmidt W, Mockel M, Romer M, Ploner C, Lindner T Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016; 24:61.

PMID: 27121376 PMC: 4848793. DOI: 10.1186/s13049-016-0250-3.

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