‘Dump and run’ common practice at hospital with stabbings and gunshot wounds
IT’S not unusual for the medical team at Liverpool Hospital watch someone get dropped off at the Emergency Department “Chicago-style, thrown out of the car having been stabbed or shot”.
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IT’S not unusual for the medical team at Liverpool Hospital to watch someone get ‘dumped’ at the Emergency Department “Chicago-style, thrown out of the car having been stabbed or shot”.
Liverpool Hospital trauma surgeon Valerie Malka said the “Liverpool specials” were a common theme on Friday and Saturday nights.
“We’ve got the wonderful Liverpool specials — gun shots, stabbings and assaults,” Dr Malka said.
“It’s alarming because some of them are dropped off in Chicago-style, thrown out of the car (at emergency) and present at the door having been stabbed or shot.”
Trauma admissions are on the rise in the south west — and medical specialists are alarmed at the rise in crashes on our roads too.
Dr Malka said road trauma included accidents involving motor vehicles, motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians. It makes up half of their 2800 cases a year.
She said P plate drivers were over represented in their trauma statistics.
“They hold the least amount of licenses but are heavily represented in our care,” she said.
“We run a program targeting this age group, teaching them about the impact one bad decision can have. It’s called the PARTY Program.
“Risk taking ... could potentially have lifelong consequences for the person, the family and the community.”
Dr Malka said a good proportion of the Liverpool Hospital’s trauma patients end up in the brain injury unit.
“That’s not including all the other rehab for spinal injuries, physio and occupational therapy that most need to undergo as well,” she said.
“One case that stands out recently was a motorbike rider with horrendous injuries. He’s been lucky, so to speak, with no head injury. But has chest and arm injuries, lost a leg and had his spleen out.”
Whatever the trauma injury, it takes a team to care for the patient; from the emergency department, specialists, trauma team leader, surgeons, anaesthetist, intensive care, specialist nursing, social workers, paramedics and radiology.
“Things get done very quickly and simultaneously. We have a well-trained routine,” Dr Malka said.
“Our focus is to stabilise airways, breathing and circulation. We always talk about the golden hour of care.
“We take a look at them from head to toe, nothing beats a good old fashioned clinical examination. Then we’re getting the patient, if they’re stable, to imaging. If they’re unstable, up to the operating room.”
The hospital has a unique room called the RAPTOR suite, an operating theatre that can accommodate radiology and other treatment at the same time. There is only one other hospital in the state that has the suite.
WHAT IS TRAUMA?
1 Trauma can present at hospital as anything injury related
2 In 2013, Liverpool Hospital dealt with 330 severe injuries. In 2015, there were 470 severe injuries
3 35% of all admissions at Liverpool are due to falls
4 The cost of road trauma injuries for one year at Liverpool Hospital is more than $4.5 million. In NSW, road trauma costs $3.4 billion. Nationwide, $27 billion is spent on road crashes each year
5 About 50% of trauma patients at Liverpool Hospital go on to have surgery due to their injury
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