DISCUSSION QUESTION

Trauma Centers and Levels

Name

Institution

Trauma Centers and Levels

Trauma designation is defined as the geopolitical process by the government, and the associated entities make the official selection for the once who manage a trauma center (Trunkey, 2003). On the other hand, trauma verification is the process of evaluation that is carried out by the American Agency which is meant to evaluate performance and improve care at the trauma center.

In the United States, these functions of disturbance verification are done by the agency known “American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma” (ACS). This is an agency in the United States that is responsible for ensuring that there are resources that are required in providing quality trauma care (“American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma”, 2008). Some of the functions of the agency are ensuring patient care, policies adherence, readiness, and improvement of performance. The agency, however, does not designate the trauma centers in the nation.

Level I

Trauma level one is the level that is resourceful in offering tertiary care and it provides total attention to every injury. One of the requirements is that it has to run for twenty for hours providing care in plastic surgery, pediatric and critical care and radiology (American Trauma Society, n.d). Another requirement is that level one has to platform for abuse of substance screening and prevention.

Level II

One element of level two trauma center is that incorporates quality assessment program that ensures quality services to the patients (American Trauma Society, n.d). The other component of level two is that it should provide a twenty-four-hour immediate coverage of surgeons that should attend to the casualties. Tertiary care is needed from level two trauma center such as hemodialysis and microvascular surgery.

Level III

The level three trauma center is the one that has portrayed the capability to deliver assessment, surgery and thorough care. The level includes a comprehensive assessment program. Also, this level also offers back-up care for the communities in rural hospitals (American Trauma Society, n.d). The level has a requirement of offering education to nurses and health practitioners on how to offer care to the trauma patients.

According to the “National Inventory of Hospital Trauma Centers”, a research conducted in 2002, results showed that one thousand, one hundred and fifty-four trauma regions in the United States (MacKenzie, et al., 2003). These centers include one hundred and ninety level one centers and two hundred and sixty-three level two centers.

References

American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. (2008). Regional trauma systems: optimal elements, integration, and assessment. Systems consultation guide. Chicago: American College of Surgeons, 54.

American Trauma Society, (n.d). Trauma Center Level Explained. Retrieved from: https://www.amtrauma.org/page/traumalevels

MacKenzie, E. J., Hoyt, D. B., Sacra, J. C., Jurkovich, G. J., Carlini, A. R., Teitelbaum, S. D., & Teter Jr, H. (2003). National inventory of hospital trauma centers. Jama, 289(12), 1515-1522.

Trunkey, D. D. (2003). Trauma centers and trauma systems. JAMA, 289(12), 1566-1567.