Posted on Jul 9, 2022
A trauma surgeon details the brutal impact of shootings, even for survivors
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https://www.npr.org/2022/07/09/ [login to see] /us-shooting-gun-violence-death-trauma-surgeon
A public health crisis.
That is what trauma surgeon Elizabeth Benjamin calls gun violence in the United States.
"There's just too many guns," she said. "Too many people are getting shot, getting injured, and it is a true public health crisis."
Benjamin is the trauma medical director at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta. It's a certified level one trauma center – which means that they're equipped to deal with some of the worst injuries. And it is one of the busiest trauma centers in the country.
Grady's trauma center specifically sees a lot of "penetrative wounds," like gunshot wounds and stabbings. But a majority of the patients this center treats are rushed there because they've been shot.
Benjamin said she cannot recall a shift at the trauma center where they didn't treat at least one patient suffering from a firearm inflicted injury.
A public health crisis.
That is what trauma surgeon Elizabeth Benjamin calls gun violence in the United States.
"There's just too many guns," she said. "Too many people are getting shot, getting injured, and it is a true public health crisis."
Benjamin is the trauma medical director at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta. It's a certified level one trauma center – which means that they're equipped to deal with some of the worst injuries. And it is one of the busiest trauma centers in the country.
Grady's trauma center specifically sees a lot of "penetrative wounds," like gunshot wounds and stabbings. But a majority of the patients this center treats are rushed there because they've been shot.
Benjamin said she cannot recall a shift at the trauma center where they didn't treat at least one patient suffering from a firearm inflicted injury.
A trauma surgeon details the brutal impact of shootings, even for survivors
Posted from npr.org
Medical
Health
Surgery
Firearms and Guns
Trauma
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 7
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As a ER Medic, I've witnessed unimaginable trauma where the person is unrecognizable, but never a child.
Rich
Rich
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As one of the millions of legal "gun owners" here in the US that also hunt, I know exactly what a bullet does to the anatomy of an animal and can reasonably deduce that the very same would happen to a human as well. No need for a trauma surgeon to put their spin on it for me.
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SSgt Richard Kensinger
And the very vast majority of gun owners I know in Central PA are absolutely responsible. Only some of the criminals are not.
Rich
Rich
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."We have patients that come in that are paralyzed, you know, paraplegic, quadriplegic," she said. "They'll lose a limb. They'll have massive changes to their liver function, their internal organs."
"Their entire life changes in an instant. They'll be dealing with the repercussions of those injuries for possibly the rest of their life ... The impact is really difficult to quantify."
After years of working with trauma patients, when asked if she can see a time when gun violence may not be such a major problem in the United States, Benjamin said yes. That's why she continues doing the work that she does.
"I don't do this job to keep treating victims of gun violence," she said. "You know, a huge part of our job is violence prevention ... I have to believe that there's a chance to really decrease this burden and this health care crisis."
..."We have patients that come in that are paralyzed, you know, paraplegic, quadriplegic," she said. "They'll lose a limb. They'll have massive changes to their liver function, their internal organs."
"Their entire life changes in an instant. They'll be dealing with the repercussions of those injuries for possibly the rest of their life ... The impact is really difficult to quantify."
After years of working with trauma patients, when asked if she can see a time when gun violence may not be such a major problem in the United States, Benjamin said yes. That's why she continues doing the work that she does.
"I don't do this job to keep treating victims of gun violence," she said. "You know, a huge part of our job is violence prevention ... I have to believe that there's a chance to really decrease this burden and this health care crisis."
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SSgt Richard Kensinger
I suspect that we will continue to see a rise in aggression and violence during our devolving Second Civil War.
Rich
Rich
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