![]() ![]() He finds that your risk of injury depends on your age, your health, and the type of crash. Thomas Hartka, MD, is an emergency department doctor who studies car crashes. ![]() In the chaos of a crash, you might not have time to call a loved one. ![]() Safe driving tip: Your cell phone may have an emergency family setting that alerts a designated person if someone calls 911. If your pain continues to get worse, then you should go back to the ER for re-evaluation. At UVA, if a family member can't be with you in the ER due to COVID, your doctor can talk to them over the phone to explain everything. This includes what tests were done, any medications, and instructions for at-home care. It's common for patient to not remember details about their emergency department visit and instructions from the doctor, so all the details will be on your discharge papers. If you have minor injuries, you’ll go home to rest and follow up with your primary care provider within 2-3 days. If there are any injuries to your internal organs, a major brain injury, or broken bones, you may require hospital admission and possible operation. They’ll continue their assessment and run tests to decide your best treatment. The care team will move you from the EMS stretcher to a hospital bed. Once at the hospital, the EMS provider will report to the emergency room (ER) team, such as doctors, nurses, and other staff. These may be a little uncomfortable, but they prevent any damage to your spinal cord in the event you have a spine fracture. During this time, the EMS provider will continue to ask you questions before arriving at the hospital. You might also require an immobilization device, such as a cervical collar, a backboard, or straps, to keep you safe during transport. ![]() Crew members of UVA Pegasus can assist with this on the way to the hospital. Patients in need of air medical services: has lost a significant amount of blood or airway is blocked. Also, the location of the nearest appropriate facility capable of providing the care is also considered when determining the mode of transportation. Considerations are based on the need for time-sensitive care for those critically-ill trauma patients. Getting You to Better CareĬonsidering the best mode of transportation, such as air medical services versus ground transport, is very important. Pay attention to broken glass or sharp objects inside the vehicle to avoid more injuries. Safe driving tip: If you're in a motor vehicle crash, stay in your vehicle unless you or your passenger(s) are in danger. If that's the case, you'll be transported to an emergency room (ER). They are trying to determine the likelihood that you have internal or severe injuries. In the first few minutes, the EMS provider will ask several questions to help decide what kind of treatment you need. If a patient is trapped, EMS will work as a team with fire agencies. They’ll put safety measures into place to stabilize the vehicle(s) and avoid unintentional movement during extrication. Reid, a flight nurse with UVA’s medevac helicopter Pegasus, explains that upon arrival, EMS will assess the scene for potential hazards, such as: Police and emergency medical service (EMS) members will arrive shortly. What to Expect After a CrashĪfter a crash, you or someone else might call the local emergency services. So while heart attacks and cancer kill more people in the U.S., fatal car crashes lead to more years of life lost. Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to be in a crash than other age groups. We're designing cars to be safer with new features and better airbags, but you may still experience physical and mental trauma. Every year, 32,000 people die because of crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ![]()
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