The OR suite as a unique trauma resuscitation bay.

Trauma is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, and trauma injuries affect more than 50 million Americans annually. Inadequate care of trauma patients can cause unnecessary patient deaths. To decrease death and disability caused by trauma, one Denver hospital developed a trauma OR based on the "Golden Hour" principle (ie, the sooner a patient receives treatment, the more likely the patient will survive). Since 1977, this hospital has performed 1,838 trauma resuscitations in the trauma OR suite. This article discusses the importance of triage and recants the history of trauma patient transportation. The authors detail the trauma procedures at their hospital, including the specific roles of trauma team members and the necessary equipment, and provide demographic information on the trauma resuscitations performed at the hospital since 1988. The article also discusses the extensive and continuous orientation necessary for trauma team members and explains the quality improvement strategies implemented by this hospital.