MEDICAL SURFARI: EMS: A VITAL LINK IN AN EMERGENCY

As a neurosurgeon I am often faced with managing life threatening head and spine injuries and I have learned, firsthand, that the time between injury and medical care is critical. Vital pre-hospital care followed by treatment at an appropriate medical center is often the difference between life and death or short term hospital care and lifetime disability. In fact, the American Trauma Society estimates that death from trauma could be reduced by 20 percent if every community in the United States had an effective trauma system.

What is trauma? It is the condition resulting from an injury usually caused by physical force. Most often following a motor vehicle crash, fall, drowning, gunshot wound, burn, stabbing, or blunt assault.

Trauma in the United States is one of the most important and most expensive in tragic health problems, costing more years of life than cancer, heart disease or AIDS, and it is the country's fourth leading cause of death. It is the No. 1 killer of people age 40 and under accounting for 100,000 deaths per year. It temporarily disables 11,000,000 others and currently disables 470,000 people. The effectiveness of trauma care depends upon early notification, clear communication, prompt dispatch, skilled extrication and field resuscitation as well as an orderly transport to an appropriate medical facility with an effective trauma system.

What you do before an emergency is just as important as what you do during an emergency. Prepare yourself by posting emergency telephone numbers for your area on each phone. Make sure your house numbers are clear and visible from the street. If you need emergency services at night turn on your outside lights to help the EMS responders find your location. When speaking to a dispatcher be prepared to tell them what has happened, where it has happened and ALWAYS stay on the line, don't hang up! Remain calm while a dispatcher tells you what to do. Again, don't hang up!

Ever since 1973 when former President Ford signed the first official proclamation, National Emergency Medical Services Week has been celebrated each year to recognize the accomplishments of the men and women who dedicate themselves to saving the lives of others and educating the public about how and when to utilize the EMS.

In trauma management we often refer to the "Golden Hour"... the first 60 minutes after trauma that are crucial in improving chances of survival. The clock begins ticking the minute the serious illness or injury occurs and seconds make up each of those 60 minutes of the "Golden Hour." Seconds save lives in medical emergencies. Knowing what to do and who to turn to for help are lifesaving decisions that emergency personnel make every day. Their good care optimizes your chances for survival and lessens the odds of temporary or permanent physical impairment.

EMS Week is May 17-23 and this is an ideal time to highlight how our EMS in Southeast Missouri makes a positive difference in the lives of people in our community, not only in terms of saving lives, but in educating the public in the areas of injury prevention and healthy living. Again, as a neurological trauma surgeon and educator, I spend some of my time teaching children and teen-agers about head and spinal cord injury prevention and I have worked closely with the EMS in our community. They deserve high praise for their dedication, genuine interest and effectiveness ... we are truly fortunate.

World Wide Web Resources

American Trauma Society

http://www.amtrauma.org/index.html

This web site by the American Trauma Society is a voluntary nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention of trauma and the improvement of trauma care.

American College of Emergency Physicians

http://www.acep.org/

This national medical society web site represents more than 19,000 physicians specializing in emergency medicine. The ACEP is committed to improving the quality of emergency care through continuing education, research, and public education.

1998 EMS Week

http://www.acep.org/public/pi980114.htm

This site discusses the theme and logo for this year's EMS Week, "EMS: the Vital Link" and provides information on how to obtain an EMS Week kit.

EMS Week: Join EMS Week Webring

http://www.acep.org/emsweek/98/week11.htm

This EMS Webring was established to provide an opportunity to EMS participants from around the country to share their experiences and information about EMS Week plans or activities.

Dr. Scott Gibbs is a neurosurgeon and editor-in-chief of Mosby's Medical Surfari. You may e-mail questions to him at drgibbs@semissourian.com or write in care of the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63701.