Trauma Doesn’t Take a Holiday
Cedars-Sinai’s Medical Director of Trauma Shares His Tips for Staying Safe During the Holiday Season
The winter holiday season is a time to slow down, relax, and enjoy time with family and friends. That is, unless you’re a trauma surgeon.
As a Level I trauma center, Cedars-Sinai offers advanced resources and technologies to serve Los Angeles County and beyond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
The Cedars-Sinai Newsroom sat down with Galinos Barmparas, MD, medical director of Trauma in the Cedars-Sinai Department of Surgery, to discuss how people can have a healthy holiday season and avoid life-changing injuries and accidents.
Do you see an uptick in trauma cases around this time of year?
We tend to see an increase in trauma cases on almost all holidays throughout the year and this season is not an exception. In fact, because it is a protracted holiday period, that allows for an even higher volume of patients and an increased chance that these patients may get injured to the point that they require admission to a trauma center.
What are some common cases the trauma surgery service sees during the holidays?
As the trauma surgery team, we see patients with the most serious injuries.
Some of the most common injuries we see around this time of year are falls from ladders as people try to decorate their homes or trees. Those falls may result in significant head, neck and spine injuries.
We also see injuries from new toys. Kids may receive things like scooters, skateboards or hoverboards as presents and, in their excitement and lack of experience with them, they use them without the proper protective equipment, which is extremely dangerous. We, unfortunately, see some very serious injuries related to this.
As people are spending more time at home, cooking and using their fireplaces, there also tends to be an increase in fires and burn-related injuries.
One thing I would be remiss if I did not mention is the impact of alcohol. This time of year, there are more opportunities to drink and often, people are drinking to excess. We, unfortunately, see an increase in motor vehicle collisions with drivers coming from holiday gatherings under the influence of alcohol or other substances, and the injuries caused to themselves and others can be catastrophic.
But it’s not only drugs and alcohol. During this season, people are busy and distracted. They may be rushing. It gets dark earlier. There’s more traffic. There are more people out walking. All of these factors combined can cause dangerous situations that result in traumatic injury.
What are some ways individuals can avoid traumatic injury and a hospital visit this time of year?
This advice is really for all times of year, not only for the holidays, and it’s simply to be proactive in preventing injury.
As a trauma surgeon, my mission is not only to treat the severely injured, but to prevent injuries. So, my message is to think before you act. Don’t climb a ladder carrying sharp tools or other instruments that may injure you in a fall. Be cautious when cooking, especially with young children around. Be mindful of tripping hazards, such as rugs or extension cords for lights, especially when elderly family members who may have balance issues are visiting your home. And, of course, always designate a sober driver.
If someone does happen to get injured, how should they determine whether to seek help at a hospital or trauma center versus urgent care?
Urgent care is a great option for minor injuries like simple lacerations. Things that would definitely require a hospital visit are falls from 10 feet or higher, falls from lower heights when you may have sustained a head injury and have an altered mental state or you are confused or have passed out, and any bleeding that is significant and not stopping. In any of those cases, you should call an ambulance and get to a hospital immediately to be evaluated and treated.
Is it difficult for members of the trauma surgery service to work during the holidays when most everyone else is enjoying time with family and friends?
My team covers trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and the surgical intensive care unit, and we have a duty to care for patients every day of the year. This is a mission, and we understand this. We are also fortunate to have a diverse team of individuals. We have different religious beliefs and may celebrate different holidays throughout the year, so that allows for some flexibility in on-call scheduling as well.
But at the end of the day, we’re a team. And it’s not just the trauma surgeons alone. We have our surgical residents, our ICU staff, our nursing staff, our operating room staff. It’s really a trauma family, rather than just a trauma team. So maybe we’re not with our real family, but we’re with our trauma family, and that’s special too.
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