A major trauma service (MTS) provides the full spectrum of care for the most critically-injured patients, from initial resuscitation through to rehabilitation and discharge. 6
These hospitals provide a range of specialist services. They are delineated as level 6).7 An MTS is equivalent to a Level 1 trauma service, as documented in the Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Trauma Verification Program: Model Resource Criteria For Trauma Services by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. 6
Locations
There are seven adult and three paediatric MTS hospitals in NSW.
Canberra Hospital is also formally recognised as an MTS provider within the NSW trauma networks. It provides a trauma tertiary referral role to the Southern NSW Local Health District.7
See service locations
Role of the MTS
An MTS provides the full spectrum of care for the most critically injured patient, from initial reception and resuscitation through to discharge and rehabilitation. In addition, the MTS provides:
- research
- education and fellowship training
- trauma systems overview
- quality improvement program
- data collection
- prevention and outreach programs
- trauma audit
- leadership responsibilities.
An MTS has a significant trauma case volume to develop and sustain clinician experience and expertise. There is:
- a 24-hour trauma reception team
- prompt 24-hour availability of senior consultant-level general surgeon
- an appointed trauma director
- ideally, a surgical trauma-admitting service (bed card).
Elective and emergency surgery in neurosurgery, cardiothoracic, orthopaedics and plastics are essential for an Adult MTS.
An MTS has first class facilities, including an emergency department, operating theatre suite, and intensive care units. A dedicated emergency operating room is available 24 hours for trauma.
An MTS is the central hub of an integrated system. It is responsible for coordinating both urban and rural trauma services, in any given region and for advising those services. Transfer agreements for reception of patients from other trauma services should be in place. A helipad landing site is essential as well as road and ambulance reception.
An MTS takes a lead role in the coordination and management of mass casualty and disaster preparedness scenarios.
An MTS acts as the principal hospital for reception of inter-hospital transfer of major trauma patients.
Staffing
The day-to-day coordination of multidisciplinary activities, services and systems necessary to provide the highest level of trauma care within the MTS are led by the trauma director and the trauma nurse coordinator.
Review the roles and responsibilities for trauma service staff
The model of care has more details on staffing and resources.
FAQs
The Trauma Center at Cooper University Hospital was established in 1982 and today is the busiest trauma center in the region. Cooper University Hospital is one of only three New Jersey State-Designated Level I Trauma Centers verified by the American College of Surgeons, the highest national recognition possible.
What is a major trauma facility? ›
The highest levels of trauma centers have access to specialist medical and nursing care, including emergency medicine, trauma surgery, critical care, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, anesthesiology, and radiology, as well as a wide variety of highly specialized and sophisticated surgical and diagnostic equipment.
What is considered major trauma? ›
Major trauma is any injury that has the potential to cause prolonged disability or death. There are many causes of major trauma, blunt and penetrating, including falls, motor vehicle collisions, stabbing wounds, and gunshot wounds.
What is trauma care services? ›
Definition: A trauma center (or trauma centre) is a hospital equipped and staffed to provide care for patients suffering from major traumatic injuries such as falls, motor vehicle collisions, or gunshot wounds.
What is the difference between a major trauma center and a trauma unit? ›
Major trauma centres are specialist hospitals responsible for the care of patients with major trauma across a region. Trauma units are hospitals that receive patients with major trauma who need resuscitation or stabilisation before transfer to the major trauma centre.
What is a major trauma service? ›
Major trauma services care for people who have experienced severe injury that results in emergency care at a hospital. Major trauma is described as injury resulting in admission to an intensive care unit for more than 24 hours and any serious injury that satisfies the Victorian State Trauma Registry patient criteria .
What is the most severe level trauma center? ›
A Level I trauma center can provide the highest level of care for a patient presenting after a traumatic injury. A Level IV or V trauma center will stabilize an injured patient and arrange for transfer to a higher level of care. This designation is unique for adult and pediatric facilities.
What is the survival rate for major trauma patients? ›
The case-fatality rate was 6.5% for all-cause major trauma admissions between 2011 and 2018. It significantly increased in the first year Aintree MTC was established, from 2.2% in 2011 to 6.9% in 2012 (RR 3.18, 95% CI 1.25–8.14).
What are the three 3 different types of trauma? ›
There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, or Complex
- Acute trauma results from a single incident.
- Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged such as domestic violence or abuse.
- Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature.
Complex Trauma. Complex trauma refers to experiencing chronic trauma with long-term emotional and physical symptoms. This kind of trauma may be the most severe- it can ultimately affect someone's development and sense of safety in the world.
The term "golden hour" is commonly used to characterize the urgent need for the care of trauma patients. This term implies that morbidity and mortality are affected if care is not instituted within the first hour after injury. This concept justifies much of our current trauma system.
What is a trauma specific service? ›
Trauma-specific services are clinical interventions that are designed to address trauma- related symptoms and PTSD directly in individuals and groups.
What happens in a trauma room? ›
Trauma care teams treat patients that have critical injuries threatening life or limbs. These severely injured patients often require multi-disciplinary, comprehensive emergency medical services. Trauma surgeons have advanced training in procedures of a critical and invasive nature.
What is trauma major? ›
Major trauma is any injury that has the potential to cause long-term disability or death. There are many causes of major trauma, including road traffic accidents, falls, stabbing and gunshot wounds.
Is a trauma unit the same as an ER? ›
Trauma centers are usually located within the ER. They aren't often discussed singularly because they are part of the emergency room system. Trauma centers handle the extreme cases where there is an issue of immediate survival.
What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2 trauma? ›
Level I and II Trauma Centers have similar personnel, services, and resource requirements with the greatest difference being that Level Is are research and teaching facilities.
Which hospitals are major trauma centres? ›
England
| Adult and children | Adult only |
|---|
| Queen's Medical Centre (Nottingham) | Northern General Hospital (Sheffield) |
| Royal London Hospital | Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham |
| Royal Victoria Infirmary (Newcastle) | Royal Preston Hospital |
| Southampton General Hospital | Royal Stoke University Hospital |
8 more rowsAlthough both Trauma Center & ICUs share certain similarities; they primarily differ in terms of their scope of practice: where trauma centers offer immediate lifesaving measures while ICUs provide longer term critical care solutions depending on the patient's condition.
What type of patients are on a trauma unit? ›
Trauma care teams treat patients that have critical injuries threatening life or limbs. These severely injured patients often require multi-disciplinary, comprehensive emergency medical services. Trauma surgeons have advanced training in procedures of a critical and invasive nature.
What is the difference between an ER and a trauma center? ›
Trauma centers are usually located within the ER. They aren't often discussed singularly because they are part of the emergency room system. Trauma centers handle the extreme cases where there is an issue of immediate survival.
