LIVEWELL MINUTE: Pediatric Trauma

Traumatic injury is the number one killer of America s children, taking more 20,000 lives each year more than all disease combined.

Physician Rick Sidwell, MD, Trauma Surgeon says, “When a child is severely injured, his body reacts much differently than an adult s. Therefore, it is critical to get him to a pediatric trauma center as quickly as possible where there are individuals specially trained to care for critically-ill and injured children.”

According to recent research by the American Pediatric Surgical Association, pediatric patients treated at a children s hospital with a trauma center had significantly lower mortality, length of stay and a lower rate of severe disability at discharge.

Dr. Sidwell says, “The most important thing for parents and caregivers to remember is prevention. By simply making sure your child is buckled up properly in your car, and that they are always wearing a bike helmet when cycling, almost ninety percent of pediatric traumas could be prevented.”