Frequently Asked Questions
What types of events cause traumatic injuries?
A traumatic injury can occur nearly anywhere. Car accidents, sports activities, and violent acts are among the three most common causes of traumas in the U.S. Injuries associated with traffic collisions, ATV accidents, physical assaults and falls tend to incur blunt traumas, whereas penetrating wounds tend to come from gunfire, knife attacks and accidental impalement.
What is the job of a trauma surgeon?
Trauma surgeons must work very quickly with limited information about the patients they are treating. Furthermore, since many patients present with more than one wound or injury, the surgeon must be capable of carrying out complex treatments and procedures in order of priority. General trauma surgeons must be familiar with a wide range of procedures involving multiple areas of the body, including the neck, chest, and abdomen.
Traumatic injuries can be life-threatening. Often, it is the responsibility of a trauma surgeon to first resuscitate and open the airways of a patient who has entered the ER. Then, the surgeon will rapidly evaluate the victim and sometimes order a wide range of diagnostic tests or an emergency laparotomy or thoracotomy to access the chest and abdominal cavities. The attending surgeon will manage a team of health professionals to stabilize the patient until further evaluation can be completed.