Whether caused by a fall in the home, an accident at work or a car crash, the body’s response to traumatic injury can be highly complex.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), unintentional traumatic injury (from falls, accidents, assaults, etc.) kills more people between the ages of 1 and 44 than any other disease or illness. However, CDC-supported research shows a 25 percent reduction in deaths for severely injured patients who receive care at a Level I trauma center rather than at a non-trauma center.
In addition to the emergency treatment required for initial critical injuries, the physical damage to the body caused by the trauma can result in further, serious consequences.
“Traumatic injury is a disease process unto itself. Biochemical changes occur throughout the body in response to the traumatic injuries, including in organs distant from, and seemingly unconnected to, the site of injury,” said Steven E. Ross, MD, Director of the Level I Trauma Center at Cooper University Hospital. Read the full story
It is rare for children to become seriously ill with no warning. Depending on your child’s symptoms, you usually should contact your child’s pediatrician for advice. Early recognition and treatment of symptoms can prevent an illness or injury from getting worse or turning into an emergency. The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper offers parents these guidelines about emergencies:
