Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Trauma team
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A Trauma team is a group of healthcare workers who attend to seriously ill or injured casualties who arrive at a hospital emergency department. The team is composed of a number of specific roles, with a typical team consisting of:
- Team Leader – Trauma Surgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon, Emergency Medicine Physician, or Anesthesiologist doctor who takes command
- Additionally: An Emergency Medicine Physician (optional)
- Additionally: Anesthesiologist
- Respiratory Therapist (Canada/USA)
- Three nurses
- Radiographer
- Scribe – a nurse or doctor who deals with administration
Other specialities can be added depending on the nature of the injury, for example a neurological surgeon will attend if there is a serious head injury. All staff should be trained in Advanced Trauma Life Support techniques. Each hospital will have a list of criteria that require the activation of the trauma team, such as a fall of over 6 meters or a fracture of 2 or more bones.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]