PITTSBURGH, February 11, 1998 — Trauma surgeon Andrew Peitzman, M.D., F.A.C.S., director of the University Trauma Center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and professor of surgery, has just published The Trauma Manual, a reference for medical professionals who care for trauma patients. In addition to Dr. Peitzman, other editors of the manual are Donald Yealy, M.D., F.A.C.E.P., vice chairman and associate professor of emergency medicine at the UPMC; Michael Rhodes, M.D., F.A.C.S., from the University of Delaware; and C. William Schwab,M.D., F.A.C.S., from the University of Pennsylvania.
"We took a novel approach to this book and didn’t want it to be in the standard textbook format. It is a user friendly manual for emergency physicians, surgeons, fellows and residents; something they can easily carry in their white jacket pockets," Dr. Peitzman said. "We organized the manual in a chronological pattern following the customary events and phases of care following traumatic injury."
The manual begins with sections on mechanisms of injury and pre-hospital care, followed by emphasis on a team approach to the resuscitation of the patient. Later chapters include information on the management of specific organ injuries, priorities in the intensive care unit, and special problems encountered with a trauma patient.
"The manual is written by professionals from a multitude of disciplines. We have addressed the critical issues from injury prevention, to the moment the patient is traumatized in the field, all the way through rehabilitation," said Donald Yealy, M.D., vice chairman and associate professor of emergency medicine.
"The manual is largely done by physicians in Pennsylvania with a heavy concentration on Pittsburgh, because the way we treat patients is universally recognized as being outstanding," he added.
"This is perhaps the first comprehensive but concise trauma manual conceived and based upon the significant strides made over the past decade in the management of patients in the golden hour," stated Ronald D. Stewart, M.D., professor of emergency medicine and community health and epidemiology at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada and adjunct professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, in the manual’s foreword.
"The editors and authors here represent a young and vibrant cadre of clinicians who have been instrumental internationally in the definition and promotion of the art and science of trauma care," he continued.
Dr. Peitzman has been prominent in trauma issues for over a decade. He received his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1976. In 1983, he became an instructor in surgery and in 1984 was named assistant professor of surgery and critical care. In 1985, he was named director of trauma services, chief of emergency surgery, and founded and became director of the University Trauma Center. In 1992, he became co-director of the trauma/neurosurgical intensive care unit. He was named professor of surgery and professor of anesthesia and critical care medicine in 1996.
Dr. Peitzman is the author of numerous articles in professional journals. His research interests include hemorrhagic shock, resuscitation, abdominal trauma, fluid resuscitation, ballistic injuries and pelvic fractures, among others. His memberships in professional societies include the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Trauma Society, and the American College of Surgeons.
The University Trauma Center brings together specialized trauma physicians to reduce the mortality and suffering caused by trauma. The Pennsylvania Trauma Systems Foundation has designated it as a Level I Regional Resource Trauma Center with capabilities in patient care, academic research, and education. The University Affiliated Trauma Centers, a new affiliation with the Benedum Pediatric Trauma Program at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, created Pennsylvania's first trauma program affiliation that is separately certified as a Level I Regional Resource for both adults and children -- the highest certification possible, and the only such program in the Pittsburgh tri-state region.