About the Trauma Center
Ready 24/7 to receive severely injured children
The most important component of treating a severely injured child is time. Injured children must be thoroughly evaluated as quickly as possible. We have:
- A system in place to alert a specially trained team of healthcare providers to care for critically or severely injured patients. When called, this team comes together in the emergency department within a matter of minutes.
- An operating room is always available in case it is needed.
- A team of pediatric anesthesiologists and nurses specially trained in trauma is available at all times.
- Trauma patients receive priority status for lab work and X-rays, which are critical to fast treatment.
Injuries are also more likely to occur on weekends and in the evenings when other hospitals may have decreased staff. The Trauma Center at CHOP, however, will always have a full team available to care for injured children.
Specially trained healthcare team
Our multidisciplinary team includes surgeons, physicians, nurses, social workers and rehabilitation therapists. Because trauma patients frequently experience multiple injuries or serious single system injuries that require very specialized care, we work closely with many physicians throughout the Hospital and consult with associate trauma directors from multiple disciplines, including:
- Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine
- Neurosurgery
- Orthopaedics
- Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)
- Radiology
- Rehabilitation
All doctors and nurses who care for trauma patients in the emergency department, the operating room, the intensive care unit or on a surgical floor have special training and receive continuing education in pediatric trauma.
The healthcare team considers more than the immediate physical care of the patient:
- Trauma social workers are available to assist families in coping with the psychological impact of trauma.
- Rehabilitation of the patient is considered from the beginning of the patient's hospitalization. Rehabilitation may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and/or an evaluation by a rehabilitation physician.
Quality improvement
The Trauma Center constantly evaluates itself, its staff and its programs to ensure that the best possible care is provided to all trauma patients. We are also accredited by the Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation, a nonprofit organization, which means we undergo a vigorous site survey at least every three years.
Professional training
We share our expertise with others by providing education to doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers, including those from adult trauma centers and non-trauma center hospitals, and with pre-hospital care providers.
Injury prevention
As a Trauma Center, we are committed to decreasing injuries. To learn more, please visit:
Research
As a Level I pediatric trauma center, we conduct research to improve treatment and care for children who are victims of trauma and to discover ways to prevent children from being injured.