Are Trauma Centres Best Practices for the UK - Essay Example

A look at the figures spent by NHS on treating injuries related to trauma is convincing enough to make one realize the importance of effective trauma management, with efforts to also locate the source of these injuries (like speed driving), and effectively put a stop to them. Since road trauma is one of the major causes of death, it is also necessary for the government to take initiatives where road accidents can be reduced. During the late eighties, specialists from the Royal College of Surgeons UK highlighted the fact that there are major flaws in the management of patients with serious injuries, and ineffective handling of the entire situation often leads to many untimely deaths, that are completely avoidable.

My article will examine the current conditions of trauma management and the services offered to patients in trauma within the UK, and ascertain the importance of trauma services in this country, with the main emphasis on the transportation of patients using ambulance services (pre-hospital care). Are trauma centers best practices for the UK? 1 Introduction 1.1 Background history Severe injuries, resulting from accidents like a car crash or after falling from great heights, are one of the most common causes of death amongst UK youth.

The chances of surviving the fatal accident, later followed by a complete recovery are dependent on the trauma care that the patient receives immediately after the mishap, and in the few following weeks, as he recuperates. In England and other parts of the UK, it has been observed that the most common cause of death from trauma is in case of road accidents. At an average count, it has been estimated that annually there are nearly 20,000 reported cases of severe trauma in England that results in an estimated 5,400 deaths, while many of the survivors suffer from long-term disabilities, a majority of which are permanent, thus demanding provisions for long-term care facilities (National Audit Office, 2010, 4).

The term trauma can be summarily defined as “physical injury caused by events such as road traffic accidents, falls, explosions, shootings, or stabbings. The term ‘major trauma’ is therefore used to describe multiple injuries involving different tissues and organ systems that are or have the potential to be life-threatening. Trauma patients require special care from a multidisciplinary group of professionals” (The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2007, 1). Death from major trauma (from severe multiple injuries) is a major cause in the UK with almost 16000 dying in England and Wales alone each year (ibid).

According to NHS Choice, the term ‘Major Trauma’ may be defined as comprising of “multiple, serious injuries that could result in disability or death. These might include serious head injuries, severe gunshot wounds or road traffic accidents” (NHS Clinical Advisory Groups Report, 2010, 5). In scientific terms, Major Trauma is exemplified with the use of the Injury Severity Score (ISS), which gives certain values to “injuries in different parts of the body and totals them to give a figure representing the severity of the injury.