In an article published in the August edition of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Brent Eastman, chief medical officer of Scripps Health and a trauma surgeon at Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, says that a shortage of trauma surgeons, high death rates in rural areas and “a disconnect between existing trauma systems and regional disaster plans” all add up to an alarming state of trauma care in this country.

While the trauma systems are laudable in some areas of the country, such as San Deigo, where Eastman co-founded a successful trauma system that has reduced the percentage of preventable deaths from 22% to 2% since 1984, in many rural areas, access to appropriate trauma care is significantly hindered. “Death rates…are unnecessarily high in those areas, leading to the fact that trauma is the leading cause of death for those under age 45 in this country.”

Eastman’s article highlights some successful trauma systems, including the military trauma systems in Iraq and Afghanistan, which quickly move injured soldiers from combat zones to more sophisticated care.

Read the press release or the full article (requires registration).

Mauli Agrawal, a biomedical engineer and dean of the College of Engineering at UT San Antonio, told the San Antonio Business Journal that the city should focus on trauma care and research to distinguish itself on the bioscience front. He believes this is the area of greatest opportunity.

Dr. Ronald Stewart, trauma medical director for University Health System and a member of the NTI board of directors, is also quoted in the story, pointing out that San Antonio’s military/civilian connections make it the perfect location as a center of excellence for trauma care and research.

An incredibly disturbing public service announcement produced in the UK has been procured by the North and South Carolina regional Automobile Association of America (AAA) in its campaign to stop texting while driving. Titled “You Text – You Drive – You Die”, the video will air on 20 cable channels in the Carolinas starting this week.

Trauma surgeons like to say there are no vehicle accidents, collisions are caused by people deliberately doing stupid things. Nothing could be made more clear in this video. This is trauma, and it kills 170,000 people in the United States every year. Even with such graphic warnings, trauma surgeons will continue to try to put people back together after traumatic injuries like those shown in the video. Sometimes they are successful, but too often they’re not because they don’t have the right tools.

Help fund trauma research, and put more tools into the hands of trauma surgeons.

In an article originally published in the New York Times, journalist C.J. Chivers reports from the front lines in Afghanistan about the daily work of military flight medics. It’s a well-written and heart-wrenching story that illuminates the dangers faced by those called upon to save the lives of our soldiers.

Chivers provides a sobering reminder that the draw-down of our troops in Iraq only means that the location of the fighting, the deaths and the devastating injuries is moving to Afghanistan–and along with it, the military trauma system. The pilots, flight medics, nurses, surgeons and others who constitute the military trauma system confront enormous challenges, face death daily, and save lives under extreme conditions. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.

In an interview on San Diego television station KUSI, Dr. Raul Coimbra of the San Diego Health System spelled out how the coming summer months pose an increased risk of trauma. Coimbra, recognizing that May is National Trauma Awareness Month, talked about the injuries he most often sees in the emergency department: victims of skateboarding and biking accidents, car crashes, and violence related to late-night partying.

The trauma doctor makes a strong case for viewing trauma as a disease–a preventable and treatable disease that too often cuts young lives short. He urges everyone to take extra precautions over the summer months. For additional trauma prevention tips, visit NTI’s National Trauma Awareness Month web page.

The U.S. Military’s first Warrior Games got under way this past weekend in Colorado Springs, and nearly 190 wounded servicemen and women are getting the chance to prove to themselves that their injuries will not hold them back from fully living their lives.

With coaching from military trainers and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Paralympics division, the wounded servicepeople participating in the games say that the competition has restored their sense of purpose and belonging. Seeing other veterans achieving things they never thought possible often lifts the depression and feelings of hopelessness that some feel after sustaining life-altering injuries in combat. And simply engaging in strenuous exercise again relieves the emotional strain and anger that often become life-long afflictions for those wounded in war.

NTI applauds the men and women competing in the games!!

In encouraging news from the armed forces, the Marines recently announced a new resource for their Shock Trauma Platoons: Mobile Trauma Bays. These are armored containers outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, a doctor, a nurse and three corpsmen. The Mobile Trauma Bay (MTB) will be flexible and mobile and enable rapid treatment of critically injured service members within the “golden hour” to increase the chances of survival.