Trauma/Critical Care Surgery Ask The Expert/FAQs

Other Frequently Asked Questions:

	Q.	What is the difference between a Level I trauma center and my local emergency department?
	Q.	What is the difference between a trauma surgeon and an emergency medicine doctor?
	Q.	What are the benefits of having a Level I trauma center in the community?
	Q.	What can I do to support the trauma center?

Q. What is the difference between a Level I trauma center and my local emergency department?

A.Level I trauma center is the highest designation given by the American College of Surgeons. It means the hospital is optimally prepared to manage any type of trauma 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The criteria for this designation are substantial and include in-house surgeons, immediately available operating rooms, staffed and available CT scanners, trauma trained nurses and technicians in the emergency department, surgical critical care, 24/7 blood bank operation, and immediately available subspecialists (neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, reimplantation surgeons, etc). A non-trauma center is unlikely to have the staff, resources and expertise to optimally manage complex multi-trauma patients. The trauma center must also have a trauma prevention program, a trauma specific quality assurance process and provide trauma care leadership and expertise to the Emergency Medical Services Authority. Lastly, a Level I trauma center must maintain a trauma specific education and research program. At UC Irvine Healthcare, we train five new surgeons and two trauma/critical care surgeons each year.

Q. What is the difference between a trauma surgeon and an emergency medicine doctor?

A. It is common for people to confuse emergency medicine physicians with trauma surgeons. Their training and expertise is actually quite different. Emergency medicine is a unique specialty requiring at least three years of training in order to provide initial care to a wide range of medical or surgical emergencies. Trauma surgery and surgical critical care is a specialty, which requires at least six years of training after medical school. The expertise of trauma and critical care surgeons extend to the entire range of surgical and traumatic emergencies. Trauma and critical care surgeons comprehensively manage patients from arrival in the emergency department through the operating room when needed, through the intensive care unit and surgical floors and on to rehabilitation.

Q. What are the benefits of having a Level I trauma center in the community?

A. Since the development of trauma systems, preventable deaths due to trauma have decreased dramatically from up to 50 percent to less than 3 percent. It is likely that all of us know or will know someone who is seriously injured. Most of us do not consider or prepare for this possibility. When someone you love is injured, it gives great comfort to know that the best care is immediately available. Furthermore, there is a “halo effect” to the entire medical center. The tremendous resources required to be a trauma center are available to all patients at the medical center. This appears to improve care and outcomes of even non-trauma patients. Lastly, in the event of a major disaster, the trauma center is an invaluable resource for saving lives.

Q. What can I do to support the trauma center?

A. Most importantly, take specific steps to ensure that your family is as safe as possible. Wear seatbelts, use child car seats correctly, and avoid drinking and driving. Second, consider donating blood. The UC Irvine blood bank has regular donation hours.

Lastly, consider making a gift to UC Irvine’s trauma center. Arrangement for donation to improve trauma care through research and education may be made by calling 714.456.5890. All donations are tax deductible.

Questions? Contact Trauma/Critical Care Services at 714.456.7004

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