Improving trauma care

[Veneficus]

A friend of mine, who is an anasthesiologist, (intensivist) and I were discussing ways to improve rural trauma care. Well maybe not rural, but care anywhere that is quite a distance from an ivory tower of trauma (aka level I center)

Truly the focus of the discussion was around skills and procedures and while many were identified, we also played with the idea of a "mobile" or "forward" surgical posting similar to the forward surgical units in the army. (which of course we know almost nothing about)

For this discussion, please stick to the idea of bringing care to the patient, not the patient to care, we are all very much aware of how to do that.

So I was wondering, if given carte blanche without regard to current legal issues (and of course education levels) What kind of procedures would most benefit your area? What do you think of the idea of a mobile trauma team for scene or regional stabilization? (like staging at a smaller facility, a tent, or a really cool ambulance)

 

[Foxbat]

I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for, but I heard they do occasionally transport surgical teams by helicopter if a field amputation is needed. That might be the foundation for other interventions.

 

[Ridryder911]

Great idea but "show me the money". I would just like to be able to keep the EMS alive enough and to be able to have level II's. Our level one gobbles the funding and is always on divert even though they have no patients. (yeah a political nightmare).

Realistically, I would like to see Board ER docs again. Many of the urban and definitely rural now only get family practice and sports medicine doc's. Yeah, many do not have ATLS, etc.. and when attempting to enforce the rules.? Outcries from hospitals is that they felt lucky to get what they could.

R/ r911

 

[zacdav89]

These larger level one trauma centers, I think but not sure there is a least one in every state, could experiment with a roaming trauma team, basically comes with its own tractor trailer like mobile mri or cat scan machines, set up as a trauma room/ ER and then set up in various regional locations that would see a lot of these outlining patients that then could do a better job at stabilizing the patient before being flown or transported to a better definitive care center, problems would be in fining placement and funding, but it could be a different approach then what goes on now