The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has announced that it has developed a process for conducting trauma center verification site visits in a virtual format. ACS leaders also reported that they will soon finalize major revisions to the college’s trauma center standards. The upcoming changes were previewed during the 2020 TQIP Annual Scientific Meeting and…
Author: Robert Fojut
Cryopreserved packed red blood cells (RBCs) may be as safe and effective as liquid packed RBCs for initial resuscitation of moderately injured patients in the civilian setting, according to a study in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Adding frozen RBCs to the trauma armamentarium could improve the availability of blood during disasters…
Over the last decade, trauma centers have stepped up their efforts to prepare for mass shootings. But according to an expert in mass casualty response, there are several misconceptions about mass shooting events that can undercut hospital readiness. “When you talk about disasters, you have to divide them into two types — progressive events and…
Michael Glenn’s career in trauma has taken him all over the world. He started out as a paramedic in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Since then, he has managed trauma programs, set up trauma data systems, trained trauma nurses and taught trauma PI on five continents. Mike is currently the manager for trauma surgical quality…
Debra Kitchens has lived the full spectrum of trauma care, from running EMS calls as a paramedic to doing scene calls as a flight nurse. As manager of trauma services at Prisma Health/Upstate in Greenville, South Carolina, she is helping to build a regional trauma network while still managing a local team of trauma professionals.…
Trauma researchers have extensive data on fatal gun injuries in the United States. But much less is known about firearm injuries that do not result in death. A new prospective multi-center study led by the ACS Committee on Trauma (COT) aims to fill that gap. “The goal of this study is to get a better…
Child car seat safety programs rely on personal contact and one-on-one education. COVID-19 has made this “high-touch” model unfeasible. In response, injury prevention leaders have adapted car seat distribution and fitting programs to social distancing requirements. “When the pandemic hit, we had to cancel all in-person car seat checks,” said Gina Duchossois, MS, injury prevention…
Trauma nurses work every day with complex patients whose lives are on the line. They have to stay on their feet, keep up with constant changes in policy and practice, and deal with extremes of emotion on almost a daily basis. Given the demands of the profession, how do successful trauma nurses manage to build…
Trauma volumes and injury types changed significantly for most hospitals during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most trauma centers saw an overall reduction in trauma cases as a result of work closures and stay-at-home orders. At the same time, some trauma leaders reported increases in domestic, recreational, and pediatric trauma and specific mechanisms…
COVID-19 has made it harder for many trauma programs to maintain compliance with the verification standards of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). In a recent webinar, the ACS clarified its expectations around Orange Book compliance during the pandemic. The webinar — “COVID-19 Impact on Trauma Center Verification” — was hosted by Megan Hudgins, a…