Trauma team
From Ganfyd
The trauma team is assembled to deal with significant trauma and usually activated by a trauma call.
The exact composition of the team will vary from centre to centre, but will usually have involvement from emergency medicine, anaesthetics, general surgery and orthopaedics.[1][2][3][4]
The 2000 joint RCSEng/BOA report Better Care for the Severely Injured is not didactic about the composition of the team, but suggests:[5]
Each medical member of the trauma team should be trained to ATLS® or to equivalent standard. Similarly each nurse member should hold the ATNC [Advanced Trauma Nursing Certificate] or have observed on an ATLS® course or be of equivalent standard. The team structure may vary in different hospitals. In addition to the team leader, the trauma team should comprise representatives at SpR or consultant grade in A&E and anaesthesia and training grade representatives of the surgical disciplines. Two A&E nurses and a radiographer are essential parts of the team. The components of the trauma team should always reflect the importance of training in trauma. The team leader decides the level of response and the involvement of other specialties. 
A suggested team would be the following:
- Anaesthetist
- Anaesthetic technician (ODP)
- General surgeon
- Orthopaedic surgeon
- Emergency medicine physician
- At least 2 nurses (3 if no ODP)
- Radiographer
In addition to the trauma team itself, several other specialties need to be available to the team at short notice:
- Neurosurgeon
- Cardiothoracic surgeon
- Plastic surgeon
- Radiologist
External links
References
- ↑ Highley DA. Review of the composition and use of trauma teams within the Trent Region. J Accid Emerg Med. 1994 Sep;11(3):183-5.
- ↑ Sakellariou A, McDonald PJ, Lane RH. The trauma team concept and its implementation in a district general hospital. Ann R Coll Surg Engl. 1995 Jan;77(1):45-52.
- ↑ Kazemi AR, Nayeem N. The existence and composition of Trauma Teams in the UK. Injury. 1997 Mar;28(2):119-21.
- ↑ Wong K, Petchell J. Trauma teams in Australia: a national survey. ANZ J Surg. 2003 Oct;73(10):819-25.
- ↑ [http://www.rcseng.ac.uk/publications/docs/severely_injured.html/attachment_download/pdffile Better Care for the Severely Injured - A Joint Report from The Royal College of Surgeons of England and the British Orthopaedic Association. July 2000.]
