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Trauma is an injury caused by a physical force. While no one expects to be seriously injured, trauma is in fact one of the most pressing health problems in the United States:
- Trauma is the leading cause of death for all age groups under the age of 44.
- Trauma accounts for more lives lost than heart disease and cancer combined.
- 100,000 people die each year in the United States as the result of trauma.
- Annual trauma costs in the U.S. are estimated to be between $100 and $200 billion.
- Each year, 8 to 9 million people in the U.S. suffer disabling injuries.
- Of those, 3 million will be permanently disabled.
(American Trauma Society)
The Trauma Center at University Hospital is the lead Level 1 Trauma Center for a 22-county region of Texas - an area geographically larger than 17 States:
- The Emergency Center at University Hospital receives approximately 70,000 patient visits each year.
- Of those 70,000 patients, approximately 16,000 are classified as trauma cases.
- About 4,000 of the annual trauma 16,000 visits are Code 3 (serious) traumas and 3,000 are admitted to the hospital.
- There are an average of ten "Level I Trauma" activations each day at University Hospital.
- Trauma injuries treated at UH are broken down as follows:
Blunt injury: 85% Penetrating injuries: 15%
- University Hospital serves as the teaching hospital for The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSC). All trauma surgeons staffing the trauma center are active members of the UTHSC surgical faculty and closely supervise a team of trauma residents, fellows and physician assistants.
- The trauma center is equipped with a CAT Scan suite as well as complete on-site laboratory and X-ray to provide rapid and thorough assessment of injuries.
- All surgical specialties, including orthopedics, neurosurgery and anesthesia are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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