Q: If I have a traumatic accident, how do the emergency services people decide where to take me?

Ask Our Expert About Emergency Personnel

About Our Expert

Michael D. Pasquale, MD is a trauma surgeon at Lehigh Valley Health Network.

• If I have a traumatic accident, how do the emergency services people decide where to take me?
• If I am conscious, may I ask to go to a specific hospital?
• Is it better to choose a trauma center I know is not too busy?
• What if my child is injured?

Q: If I have a traumatic accident, how do the emergency services people decide where to take me?

A: Emergency medical professionals in eastern Pennsylvania use a detailed protocol to guide those decisions. When the medics arrive at the accident scene, they asess your injuries using four criteria:

• the physiology of your injury (are you awake, are your blood pressure and pulse OK)
• what part of your body is injured and how seriously (broken leg, amputation)
• how the injury occurred (falling off a ladder, auto accident)
• your general health before the accident (age, taking blood thinners, diabetic)

If the medics determine your injury is serious, the ambulance takes you to the nearest trauma center.

You can make sure the medics know as much as they can about your general health by carrying a list of your medications and supplements in your purse or wallet. Post one on the refrigerator at home, too.

Q: If I am conscious, may I ask to go to a specific hospital?

A: Yes, if you are conscious, the medics will give you a choice.

Q: Is it better to choose a trauma center I know is not too busy?

A: Actually, several studies suggest that a busy trauma center is a better trauma center—the emergency medical professionals there are used to taking care of a wide variety of injuries. The medics call the trauma center to alert the staff; they prepare to deal with your specific injury while you’re still in the ambulance. Medical personnel in busy trauma centers have had lots of practice diagnosing and treating injuries in a timely manner. Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Trauma Center was the first one accredited by the state of Pennsylvania and continues to meet the stringent state standards. We have lower mortality rates than anywhere else in the state.

Q: What if my child is injured?

A: Request a hospital with a pediatric trauma center, where pediatric critical-care physicians (called intensivists) and specially educated staff can help your child. Lehigh Valley Health Network is the only one in the area with an accredited pediatric trauma center. We also have a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) which provides expert care for injured children, along with comfort for their families.

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