Cervical spine injury in pediatric trauma occurs rarely; however, there is significant potential for considerable morbidity when it does occur. Screening for cervical spine injuries has been shown to be most sensitive in adult trauma centers when combined with reliable physical examination findings. Because pediatric trauma patients suffer from a different range of injuries than adults, and oft...

Treatment of polytrauma patients requires a large number of well trained staff and expensive medical equipment. The high medical standard in polytrauma care resulted in a reduction of a 40% lethality in the 70's to 10 to 15% today. The changes in german health systems (GSG) cut down the financial resources and call for careful evaluation of costs in trauma centers. Our analysis of the costs of ...

BACKGROUND The enormous fiscal pressures facing trauma centers may lead trauma centers to reduce nurse staffing and to make increased use of less expensive and less skilled personnel. The impact of nurse staffing and skill mix on trauma outcomes has not been previously reported. The goal of this study was to examine whether nurse staffing levels and nursing skill mix are associated with trauma ...

Spinal fractures represent 3% to 6% of all skeletal injuries. Spine trauma is a complex diagnostic area in which the radiological assessment is crucial. Plain radiography is often used as the initial diagnostic modality. However, stabilization of the acutely injured spine is a primary concern. In this respect, computed tomography (CT) is vastly superior to plain film in terms of speed and accur...

One key area of current prevention is influenced by alarming statistics about youth, alcohol and violence: 16 young people are murdered and 112 are violently injured daily in the US. Leading researchers recognize that alcohol and violence are major factors in the leading causes of death among youth. Trauma centers are key locations for services aimed at reducing future violent incidents (recidi...

INTRODUCTION: The relatively fixed position of the liver and its large size makes it more prone for injury in blunt trauma of the abdomen. Liver and spleen together, account for 75% of injuries in blunt abdominal trauma. (1) Though liver is the second most commonly injured organ in abdominal trauma, it is the most common cause of death following abdominal injury. Compared to splenic injuries, m...

OBJECTIVES To catalog trauma center resources and estimate access to age-specific trauma care for children younger than 15 years in the United States. DESIGN Cross-sectional study collating information from national, state, and local trauma systems authorities to create a catalog of verified pediatric trauma centers (PTCs) and self-designated "candidate" trauma centers. Access-to-care calcula...

An "American-style" pediatric trauma care symposia consisting of lectures, workshops, and skill stations was held at a pediatric trauma center to improve pre- and post-hospital care for children, facilitate communication, and to set up standards within the regional rescue chain.

OBJECTIVES We analyze whether hazard rates of shutting down trauma centers are higher due to financial pressures or in areas with vulnerable populations (such as minorities or the poor). MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective study of all hospitals with trauma center services in urban areas in the continental US between 1990 and 2005, identified from the American Hospital Association A...

INTRODUCTION A number of issues concerning stress ulcer prophylaxis remain unresolved despite numerous randomized, controlled trials and several meta-analyses. The role of stress ulcer prophylaxis, particularly in trauma patients, is further complicated by the lack of trials utilizing clinically important bleeding as an endpoint. Given the lack of consensus regarding stress ulcer prophylaxis in...