What really happens behind the scenes when a severely injured trauma patient arrives at the hospital?
Emergency care providers need to act quickly and coordinate seamlessly with their team when seconds count to save a trauma patient's life. But the high-stakes, chaotic environment can make it challenging to stay calm, avoid errors, and prevent burnout, especially if you don't get to practice those skills regularly.
Stephen Cohn MD says trauma surgeons need to be experts at dealing with calamity. They are glue people, helping to hold together the entire hospital enterprise. In today's episode you'll get:
Listen now to hear Dr. Cohn's wisdom gleaned from 40+ years of managing the worst injuries imaginable.
Stephen M. Cohn MD. All Bleeding Stops: Life and Death in the Trauma Unit. Mayo Clinic Press. 2023.
00:00 Introduction
01:40 Walk-through of the arrival of a trauma patient at the trauma center
10:14 Feelings in the trauma center and coordinated teamwork
14:12 Continuing medical education and team training
17:32 The work that trauma & general surgeons do and a wide array of potential surgical intervention
19:16 Innovations that have redefined and impacted trauma care
21:39 Common errors and misconceptions
23:27 Advice for younger surgeons on preventing burnout and preserving energy
25:37 Institutional support and resources
27:27 Key takeaways
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