TRAUMA CENTER, Children’s Hospital National Medical Center 111 Michigan Avenue, NW. Washington; D.C. 20010 q |< The Trauma Center Children’s Hospital National Medical Center cordially invites you to attend a Press Conference and Reception in honor of “NATIONAL CHILDREN’S ACCIDENT PREVENTION WEEK’ in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 106 First and C Streets, N.E. Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, June 10, 1986 from 2 to 4 oclock , C-EvERET ICoof? wd 8. dD WE ate Hige % KWetwowrenceé NATL CHuroREN> Aetigew7 7 4evtW Tan WEE We Pre THE Gyés7) oF PHE TRAUMA ClTER oF THE CARORENS felawte WAtannr MUNboloKe CrwTte Tita? HAS Sneed Nitt-wawt Fol “ve wit St Cave wrt sO LER FO Fy memr MNS S00 "Fieve Peewes wut You Hire Meer’ Fram Me Refett Farmer witwlsifs | Prete OPHERY SO HAD THEY MEAD TeMe orwen Hele” Pr Minow Eertcarnctat D718 FeZ PVE FRACKA— CENAIM4 OF APH ECM WAIT wwo / TARE Wwe CREOIT Fon TRAiIwe Him yy PeOCAaTET SURGEAF , ft7qire We ras cewt Fae (32 € ¥en D ME ~N ZlrrtemaA | C svicé Ze M0 wil Som ¢ oF FOE PemcclHe 3 f? RACRICE A Fae $90ee MIVE UNTIL 1981 1 HAD SPENT MY WHOLE PROFESSIONAL LIFE AS A PEDIATRIC SURGEON. IT'S BEEN ONLY S” YEARS THAT 1 TRADED MY 0.R. GOWN FOR THE UNIFORM OF THE SURGEON GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES. I DON'T REGRET DOING THAT -- BUT IT TAKES AN EVENT SUCH AS THIS TO REMIND ME JUST HOW QUICKLY MEDICINE CAN ABSORB NEW INFORMATION...NEW PEOPLE...AND NEW PROBLEMS. THE EXTENT OF INJURY TO CHILDREN IS TRULY AWESOME IN THIS, THE MOST “TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED SOCIETY IN HISTORY. THE IRONY. OF COURSE, IS THAT THE ROOT CAUSES OF TRAUMA TO CHILDREN HAVEN'T CHANGED MUCH OVER THE YEARS. FOR EXAMPLE. THE MOTOR VEHICLE IS STILL ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF INJURY TO CHILDREN. Eacet 42 - A ROvT A QUARTER OF A MILLION CHILDREN A@f ADMITTED TO EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR TREATMENT OF INJURIES INCURRED FROM SOME KIND OF ACCIDENT WITH A CAR OR TRUCK. TWO THIRDS OF THOSE CHILDREN Aae BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 14 AND A THIRD -- CLOSE TO 90.000 -- MARL UNDER THE AGE OF 4. BUT, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL ELECTRONIC INJURY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM. THE LEADING CAUSE OF INJURY TO AMERICANS US NOT THE MOTOR VEHICLE AT ALL. IT IS SOMETHING MUCH HUMBLER. THE LEADING CAUSE WAS STAIRS -- THOSE LITTLE ARCHITECTURAL AIDS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO HELP US GET SAFELY FROM ONE LEVEL IN SPACE TO ANOTHER, . Aber? GENERALLY THEY DO. €Ae4 Y€aq@ THERE A®€ 788.000 EMERGENCY ROOM ADMISSIONS FOR INJURIES INCURRED BY PEOPLE PRIMARILY GOING -- OR BEINe CARRIED -- UP OR DOWN STEPS. OF THE THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH STAIRS, ONE FOURTH OF THEM -- OR ABOUT 200.000 =~ INVOLVE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14. " THE NEXT LARGEST CATEGORY OF INJURIES INVOLVE THE USE OF BICYCLES. THERE A@E AN ESTIMATED HALF MILLION SUCH INJURIES Yenacy , OF WHICH ABOUT THE GREAT MAJORITY -- 378,000 -- INVOLVE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14. 1 WON'T GQ. ANY FURTHER WITH SUCH A LITANY, Thine ts we omtte Aaeh wheat WOE ctw FoSuS 6H SO FARE A popy ation OF VULNERABLE, VIR- TUALLY DEFENSELESS PEOPLE WHO SUFFER SUCH A VARIETY OF LIFE-THREATEN- ING INSULTS. WE'VE MADE GREAT PROGRESS IN THIS COUNTRY _IN DEVELOP- ING NOT ONLY THE CONCEPT OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE SYSTEMS. BUT ALSO [IN HAVING A LARGE NUMBER OF SUCH SYSTEMS IN PLACE AND WORKING. I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THE LARGE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN WHO ARE INJURED AND ADMITTED TO EMERGENCY ROOMS FOR SOME KIND OF TREATMENT. THE MOST RECENT FIGURES I HAVE INDICATE THAT. OF THE 11 MILLION PERSONS TRANSPORTED BY EMERGENCY VEHICLES LAST YEAR, ABOUT 1 MILLION WERE CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14. THESE CHILDREN NEED SOME SPECIAL UNDERSTANDING -- THEY CAN'T BE TREATED AS “LITTLE ADULTS,“ VET. THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF INJURED. CHILDREN 43 MOA a> TRnsPORT 1s CONCERTO Wenn oney AdDKEST EO f rE FEORAAC Livte bait Yaa WHEW fuvos wear MALE avacamet 87 Ccowenes/ Pree 7 PPRe Cn ven 1a PEOQIAT7FRBRIWN Emeatevey ME RECALL Phe ws Poh, "FOR MANY YEARS IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A RULE OF THUMB THAT YOU WANT TO WHISK THE INJURED PERSON TO THE MEDICAL FACILITY THAT IS CLOSEST To THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. KEEPING TRANSPORT TIME TO A MINIMUM, AT ONE TIME, NEARLY 10 YEARS AGO, THAT PROBABLY MADE GOOD SENSE, SINCE MOST FACILITIES HAD ABOUT THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND MOST, ALSO, HAD MADE ABOUT THE SAME MINIMUM COMMITMENT OF MONEY, STAFF, AND EQUIPMENT. BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED...WE KNOW A LOT MORE TODAY THAN WE DID 10 YEARS AGO...AND TODAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY THOSE INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE COMMITTED TO QUALITY EMERGENCY MEDICINE AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT. THE DIFFERENCE IS CRITICAL -- I MIGHT EVEN ADD, THE DIFFERENCE CAN BE LIFE-SAVING. A NATIONAL EFFORT IS NEEDED IN MANY AREAS OF TRAUMA CARE. WE STILL HAVE A LOT TO LEARN. WE MAY HAVE TO INVEST MORE THAN WE ANTICIPATE IN ORDER TO GAIN THAT NEW. LIFE-SAVING KNOWLEDGE. BUT I AM CERTAIN. THAT SUCH AN INVESTMENT WILL REPAY ENORMOUS DIVIDENDS TO OVA Voce | IN ORDER TO HAVE THAT. HAPPEN, WE ALL NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT OUR NATION'S RESEARCH AND SERVICE PRIORITIES ARE AND WE ALL NEED TO TAKE PART IN THE PROCESSES THAT WEIGHT THEM. JUDGE THEM. AND CHANGE THEM...IF THAT'S WHAT IS.NEEDED. -IT HAS LONG BEEN MY CONTENTION THAT WE OUGHT TO MOBILIZE OUR PROFESSIONS AND THE PUBLIC TO ATTACK THE PROBLEMS OF TRAUMA -~ PARTICULAR TRAUMA TO CHILDREN -- IN THE SAME WAY WE ATTACKED THE INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF CHILDHOOD. THANKS TO AN EXTRAORDINARY. RECENT HISTORY OF VACCINE DEVELOPMENT AND MASS CHILD IMMUNIZATIONS, WE ARE SEEING RECORD LOW NUMBERS OF MANY OF THE MOST COMMON CHILDHOOD DISEASES. POLIO HAS VIRTUALLY DISAPPEARED AND WE ARE ON THE BRINK OF ANNOUNCING THE END OF INDIGENOUS MEASLES IN THE : UNITED STATES. . THESE GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN CHILD HEALTH ARE THE RESULT OF THE COLLECTIVE PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC WILL. AND WE MAY WELL NEED THE SAME KIND OF TOTAL NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO TRAUMA, IF WE HOPE TO SEE ANY REAL DECLINE IN THE MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY FIGURES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INJURIES OF CHILDREN.