Treating mass casualty cases

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The Connecticut massacre represents the kind of case that can put instant pressure on hospital emergency rooms.

A mass casualty incident in Indianapolis could send patients to the Trauma Center at Methodist Hospital.

The director of that department says his staff is always trained for tragedy "Sometimes," says Dr. Lawrence Reed, "you do have to wing it, sort of, you know, like MacGyver,  I guess, figure out the best way to solve the problem, because you haven't encountered it before.

But, in most cases, we have these drills, scenarios, and triage problems that we work through to be ready for those things."

Dr. Reed says mass casualty incidents don't expose the staff to anything they haven't seen before.

The difference is in the number of patients they see.

They're "getting 'em all at the same time." 

That requires communication, to make sure the hospital has sufficient staff and the necessary equipment. 

Reed also told 2- Hour-News 8: proximity to a trauma center improves an injured person's likelihood of survival.

If someone is sent to a hospital "out in the middle of nowhere where they don't have a trauma center, things, obviously, get a little more dicey."

Reed said the doctors may be good doctors.

But, treating trauma cases is "like anything else, when you see something over and over and over, again, you get really good at it."

Trauma work can also make his team a little different.

They know "what people look like inside and out," they've seen people "close to dying and you can see them coming back when you do the right things." 

Reed said "it gives you a different perspective on life."