Baltimore Maryland Shock Trauma Unit

Shock Trauma Study at the University of MarylandEvery year thousands of people die of shock trauma. What exactly is shock trauma? Shock trauma occurs when severe injury occurs and not enough oxygen gets to vital organs such as your brain, kidney, and liver. Septic shock and hemorrhagic shock are different. Injuries from knives, gun shot wounds, and automobile accidents are the main source of hemorrhagic shock and are the primary cause of death in the United States for people under the age of 45. When someone goes into shock, they have extremely low blood pressure because of damage to their blood vessels or when the blood vessels become what is called sepsis. Sepsis is another word for septic shock which means tissues have been infected. Many people in intensive care wards, in particular, Baltimore Maryland Shock Treatment ward, die of hemorrhagic shock due to high gun violence.

Shock Trauma Unit in Baltimore MarylandThe University of Maryland Medical Center has one of the busiest shock ward centers in the United States, next to Washington D.C. The R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center is named after its founder who believed that everyone is entitled to the best medical care and not according to their ability to pay or the severity of injury. He created a model trauma center and EMS system with that in mind. He is remembered for his vision following his death in 1991. Dr. Cowley was a leading open heart surgeon in the United States. He performed heart surgery before the heart-lung machine was used. Dr. Cowley didn’t believe that people necessarily had to die from shock, especially after having come through surgery successfully. So he set out to reverse the consequences of shock trauma.

Shock Trauma Center Thanks to Dr. Cowley, Maryland instituted the first statewide EMS system which is now used worldwide. Prior to the 1970s ambulances barely had medical supplies to adequately aid patients in route to the hospital. Many times the emergency room was not equipped to take care of the incoming patients and many of them died of shock trauma. Modern EMS services have over 600 medically equipped ambulances, 12 med-evac helicopters and over 35,000 volunteers and pre-hospital workers who are required and trained to follow the same protocol as physicians. Dr. Cowley never gave up his vision and as a result of his dedication, hard work, persistence and skill he has transformed the way the critically injured are cared for, especially in Maryland.