Apollo Trauma Masterclass shares insights into trauma care, latest approaches

The Apollo Trauma Masterclass 2024, organised by Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad, brought together experts in trauma care to address critical issues, share insights and discuss cutting-edge approaches to improving trauma management and emergency response.

India faces a staggering trauma burden, with one trauma-related death occurring every 1.9 minutes. Road accident injuries are the leading cause of these deaths. Despite having just 1  per cent of the world’s motorised vehicles, India contributes 11 per cent of the world’s automobile accidents. The World Bank estimates there are around 4.5 lakh road accidents in India per year, resulting in 1.5 lakh deaths. In this situation, timely trauma care is of utmost criticality.

Neeraj Lal, COO, Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad emphasised that timely treatment can be the difference between life and death for trauma victims, therefore medical professionals across the board need to be equipped to act at short notice to save lives. The Apollo Trauma Masterclass aimed to share the latest insights and approaches to trauma care that can save lives with the participants.

The concept of the golden hour, i.e. the first 60 minutes following a traumatic injury, was a key focus of the masterclass. Experts highlighted that immediate medical intervention within this timeframe significantly improves survival rates in trauma cases.

Highlighting the challenges of the management of severely injured patients in a high-volume trauma country like India, Dr Sanjay Shah, Senior Consultant Trauma Surgeon and Head of the Emergency Department at Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad, urges the practice of gold-standard protocol for trauma care that includes airway protection, rapid haemorrhage control, critical cavity decompression, early stabilisation of fractures and intensive monitoring of vital organs.

The Apollo Trauma Masterclass, organised on Saturday and Sunday, also provided a detailed overview of the different levels of trauma centres. Level 1 trauma centres, like Apollo Hospitals Ahmedabad, provide the most comprehensive care for complex injuries. They have emergency physicians, nurses, and surgeons available 24/7, including all major subspecialty services with academics. Level II trauma centres provide definitive care for severe trauma patients.