TRAUMA PATIENTS SHOULD BE TRANSFERRED IN TWO HOURS OR LESS
December 21, 2010, by Jeffrey J. Kroll
When a car accident, construction accident or other incident occurs involving serious injuries, the victims are often brought to the nearest hospital, even if those hospitals are not trauma centers. Trauma patients requiring transfer are supposed to be transferred to facilities with higher levels of trauma care within two hours.
A new study published in the journal, Archives of Surgery, found that 80 percent of transfers in a five-year period were made after the two-hour mark. Delays may result from late diagnosis of injuries and failure to timely find a specialist who was available to treat the patient.
