About Trauma
Trauma is a physical injury or wound caused by a violent, external force, which may lead to death or permanent disability and is the leading cause of death in people under age 45, and is the third leading cause of death overall.

Surviving a major injury and minimizing the chances of a complication or disability depends on an efficient system of highly specialized trauma care professionals. This system can include:
• Access to help (9-1-1 emergency dispatch)
• Ambulance Service
• Emergency Care
• Diagnostic & Imaging Technologies
• Surgery
• Critical Care
• Basic Hospital Care
• Rehabilitation

About Antelope Valley Hospital Trauma Center
Antelope Valley Hospital is in the process of becoming a Trauma Center, which will provide the resources to take care of patients' complex and critical injuries.

As a Level II Center, Antelope Valley Hospital (AVH) Trauma Center will also serves as a resource to assist other hospitals with consultation and education.

Antelope Valley Hospital also has a Base Station for LA County Emergency Medical Services. This allows AVH to better manage the critical cases coming into the Emergency Room.


Trauma Team and Hospital Care
On arrival to the AVH Trauma Center, the patient is met by a team of specialists, who work in concert to quickly identify and treat all the injuries. This "trauma team" is led by a surgeon who specializes in trauma care. The other team members include: an Emergency Physician; Anesthesiologist; certified trauma nurses from the ER, Critical Care Unit and Operating Room; technicians from X-ray and outpatient laboratory: and others who are essential to the care of a patient with complex, critical injuries.

AVH has dedicated trauma rooms in the ER and operating rooms available 24 hours a day, and is equipped with state-of-the-art technology.

The 24-hour Radiology Department has a 64-slice CT scanner, MRI and ultrasound staffed with Radiologists. Our full-service Blood Donor Center provides a comprehensive supply of blood products to the AVH Trauma Center.

The trauma patient is seen each day by the trauma surgeon and a trauma case manager. The trauma surgeon oversees the care that is provided by consulting physicians, nurses, therapists, and allied health specialists. This system provides quality care and a smooth transition for a patient, from critical care to rehabilitation.
The AVH Trauma Center is committed to high quality care. It includes a performance improvement program for all phases and disciplines of care.

A Trauma Registry (electronic database) with details on patients' injuries, care, and outcomes is used to monitor and improve our services.

We also place a strong emphasis on continuing education at all skill levels. AVH offers many trauma-related classes to AVH staff and physicians.

The Trauma Registry's data helps guide injury prevention initiatives. We collaborate with local and regional organizations on prevention programs for groups at risk for certain injuries.