Trauma Team Involvement

[zmeister22]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I was wondering about the level of involvement anesthesiologists and gas residents have down in a trauma team activation. While working as a trauma tech, our program had them come down occasionally, but mostly they waited in the OR for the patient to come up. Are there trauma teams that routinely have the gas guy/gal come down upon activation? Thanks for the info.

 

[sleepy72]

I was a member of the trauma anesthesia team at Level I trauma hospital in St. Louis. We carried a trauma beeper and responded to every level I that came in. We were basically on "stand-by" in case the ED and trauma surgeons needed help with the airway, but it also gave us the chance to get a heads-up on the overall condition of the patient. Again, we mostly hung back unless the patient was going to go straight to the OR when we took over primary care of the patient.

 

[rsgillmd]

I was wondering about the level of involvement anesthesiologists and gas residents have down in a trauma team activation. While working as a trauma tech, our program had them come down occasionally, but mostly they waited in the OR for the patient to come up. Are there trauma teams that routinely have the gas guy/gal come down upon activation? Thanks for the info.

At Coney Island the anesthesia team secures the airway in the ER, assuming it hasn't been secured already.

For the extremely rare trauma they've called at Maimo, there was one unsecured airway when I went. I just hung out while the ER team secured the airway. Once the tube was confirmed in, I left. That guy never went to the OR that night.

 

[SleepIsGood]

I was a member of the trauma anesthesia team at Level I trauma hospital in St. Louis. We carried a trauma beeper and responded to every level I that came in. We were basically on "stand-by" in case the ED and trauma surgeons needed help with the airway, but it also gave us the chance to get a heads-up on the overall condition of the patient. Again, we mostly hung back unless the patient was going to go straight to the OR when we took over primary care of the patient.

This is how it is at our place too. We have to go down for EVERY trauma. Even if it's just a lac to to the leg with a stable airway. 😎

 

[usnavdoc]

I was wondering about the level of involvement anesthesiologists and gas residents have down in a trauma team activation. While working as a trauma tech, our program had them come down occasionally, but mostly they waited in the OR for the patient to come up. Are there trauma teams that routinely have the gas guy/gal come down upon activation? Thanks for the info.

You will find that there is alot of variabilty amongst programs based on how things are set up. Ive worked at 3 large level 1 facilities and they all did things slightly different. Most places with an EM residency the Anesthesia call person will be called down only if there is a problem. Otherwise we are notified if the patient is coming to the OR. And if they are stable enough the airway will be taken care of in the OR.Ive also worked at places where anesthesia came for every shock trauma regardless if they were needed.(That would be a huge pain in the arse)