Even if the term sounds like it – traumatology has nothing to do with sweet dreams, but with painful reality. Its German counterpart, Unfallheilkunde, tends to evoke the right associations. Trauma in Greek means “wound, injury”. On the one hand, the term means any impact that damages the organism (“traumatizes”), e.g., an accident or a psychological shock experience. On the other hand, it also refers to the resulting damage, e.g. the resulting bone fracture with flesh wound or anxiety disorder.
Traumatology is thus the study of the origin, prevention, recognition and treatment of accidental injury. However, it is limited to physical injuries, which is suggested by the synonymously used term trauma surgery. Physicians who specialize in this field are called specialists in orthopedics and trauma surgery. Physicians specializing in psychosomatic medicine and psychotherapy or psychiatry and psychotherapy are responsible for mental injuries.
The tasks of traumatology
Trauma physicians must be proficient in many things. These include first aid at the scene of an accident, shock treatment, and surgical care in the hospital. The situation often has to be assessed very quickly – are there several injured people who need help, where is there possibly a danger to life, what do I do first, what can wait or be delegated, what must be done immediately to prevent further damage or danger to others, how and where is the injured person transported (e.g. to a special clinic for burns) – this short selection already shows how many things have to be done at the same time and kept in view.
Severely and multiply injured patients
Patients with polytrauma, i.e., with multiple injuries to at least two body regions, e.g., after a car accident, are particularly at risk for life-threatening complications and require a great deal of experience on the part of the treating team, which is then often composed of several specialties.
Once the acute threat has been averted and complications have been contained, patients must be given adequate further care – often initially in the intensive care unit. Sometimes, further transfer to a special department or a specialized hospital then follows. Particularly in the case of severely and multiply injured patients, rehabilitation measures (sometimes lasting months to years) are necessary, including medical rehabilitation training and equipment therapy under the guidance of physiotherapists and occupational therapy.
Affected persons may need a supply of prostheses or aids, information on legal and social matters (e.g. reintegration into employment, reduction in earning capacity, late injuries, retirement, etc.) and often also psychological support. All of this requires the coordination, assessment, and care of trauma surgeons and their specialized teams.
