This policy is designed to clarify protocols for trauma patient
admissions to the University of Kentucky Hospital. A major trauma patient is
any patient with significant injury to two or more systems or who, on the basis
of mechanism of injury, has a high potential for injury to two or more systems.
Major trauma patients also include those with evidence of physiological
compromise that cannot be attributed to only or organ system.
All
trauma patients with injury to more than one system, or who are otherwise
included under the definition of major trauma, will be admitted to the Trauma
Service for a period of approximately twenty-four (24) hours. Admission to
Services other than the Trauma service does not preclude close consultation
with the Trauma Service; alteration in the condition of the patient will
require evaluation by the Trauma Service and any appropriate consultative
service.
If after 24 hours the patient has an active
single system injury without active injury to another system, transfer to the
appropriate service will be instituted. The Trauma Service may be requested to
function as a consultative service on the patient after transfer of the patient
to another service.
