VOA标准英语2013--New Procedures Improve Chances for Trauma Victims

 

New Procedures Improve Chances for Trauma¹ Victims

At one of the largest trauma centers in the United States, a multi-disciplinary team of doctors and nurses works quickly to save the life of a 60-year-old man suffering from multiple stab wounds. Dr. Peep Talving is the trauma surgeon on call.

“When he was closing his shop there was a robbery, and they stabbed him. He got six stab wounds to the chest, one to the abdomen² and two to the neck,” said Talving.

Methodical processes

Dr. Demetrios Demetriades, director of Trauma Services at the Los Angeles County - University of Southern California Trauma Center, said when someone is severely³ hurt, members of the trauma team are activated⁴.

"Everybody in our center is expected to be in the emergency room within five minutes of activation⁵. This means that they are there before the patient arrives. And each person has a dedicated⁶ duty," he said.

Demetriades said this methodical way of treating patients at a trauma center has lowered the preventable trauma deaths to less than two percent.

Other advancements⁷ also have improved survival rates. One of them is a change from having paramedics stabilize⁸ the patient at the scene to what is called “scoop and run.”

“Don’t waste any valuable time trying to stabilize the patient. Put him in the ambulance and take him to the hospital to the trauma center immediately without any delay,” said Demetriades.

Different treatments

Talving said that is especially critical with gunshot and stab wounds. “Particularly with the penetrating⁹ trauma because if you got a vascular¹⁰ injury to the chest torso, there is nothing else than surgery that will stop the bleeding.” 

That is the case for the elderly stabbing victim. Talving had to operate to stop the internal bleeding. The concept of “scoop and run” also is one of the reasons why 18-year-old Juan Gallardo survived a drive-by shooting. Demetriades described the injuries.

“This patient has a gunshot injury to the heart and lung. Twenty years ago he would have been dead and buried - had memorial services every year,” he said.

After surgery, though, Gallardo is returning home two weeks after the shooting. “I’m planning on going back to school and go to church.”

In another change, the hospital operates selectively on patients with gunshots to the abdomen - especially if no vital organs are hit. Not operating reduces medical complications after surgery.

Additionally, in a lesson learned from the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, Demetriades said there's a new procedure instead of the traditional method of giving trauma patients large amounts of intravenous fluids such as saline.

“Now we give blood products. We restrict all types of fluids. We give fresh blood products and again this has made a very significant difference,” he said.

Changes like these have improved a patient's chances of survival in trauma centers by as much as 25%. As for the elderly man who was stabbed, he is expected to make a full recovery. 

1 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

2 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

3 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

4 activated   

adj. 激活的 动词activate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The canister is filled with activated charcoal.蒸气回收罐中充满了活性炭。

5 activation   

n. 激活，催化作用

参考例句：

• A computer controls the activation of an air bag.电脑控制着气囊的启动。

6 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

7 advancements   

n.（级别的）晋升( advancement的名词复数 )；前进；进展；促进

参考例句：

• Today, the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements. 当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Great advancements in drought prediction have been made in recent years. 近年来，人们对干旱灾害的预报研究取得了长足的进步。 来自互联网

8 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

9 penetrating   

adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的

参考例句：

• He had an extraordinarily penetrating gaze. 他的目光有股异乎寻常的洞察力。
• He examined the man with a penetrating gaze. 他以锐利的目光仔细观察了那个人。

10 vascular   

adj.血管的，脉管的

参考例句：

• The mechanism of this anomalous vascular response is unknown.此种不规则的血管反应的机制尚不清楚。
• The vascular changes interfere with diffusion of nutrients from plasma into adjacent perivascular tissue and cells.这些血管变化干扰了营养物质从血浆中向血管周围邻接的组织和细胞扩散。