Trauma: Life in the E.R. Season 6, Episode 5: High-Stakes Trauma

The Safety Zone

It's Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, and the city is packed — the hotels are full and the roads are crowded, which means more trauma cases for the only Level-One trauma center along the west coast of the state. Tampa General is a teaching hospital associated with the University of South Florida, located on Davis Island and across from the downtown area. In this episode, the emergency staff handles a heavy patient load, including: two separate mothers involved in car accidents with their young children — one mother left paralyzed from the shoulders down; a cerebral palsy victim burned after falling into hot water; a girl suffering from grease burns; and a teenage girl whose truck skidded off the road into a concrete culvert.

21st-Century Cowboys

Originally a major crossroad of the old west cattle trails, Dallas is now a high-powered center of the world's financial, technology and petroleum industries. The doctors and nurses at Baylor University Medical Center are the heroes of this post-modern western society. They possess the spirit and strength necessary to handle the high volume of cases that come their way, including: a man shot in the chest during an incident with police; a young man with a gunshot wound to the head; a man who cut off two of his fingertips in a meat slicer; a man with stab wounds directly over his heart; a drug user who overdosed on heroin; and a young man struck by a van while trying to cross Dallas' busiest highway on foot.

Mind Over Matter

New Mexico is full of mountains, plateaus, rivers and breathtaking sunsets. Vast and wild landscapes border fast-growing cities, and intricate webs of highways cross thousand-year-old rock carvings. Albuquerque's University of New Mexico Hospital is the only Level-One Trauma Center within 400 miles. The more-than 50,000 patients who walk or are wheeled into its emergency room come from southern Colorado, eastern Arizona, the Navajo nation and right around the corner, and their traumas range from minor skin abrasions to serious internal injuries. In this episode the ER team at Albuquerque's University of New Mexico Hospital faces: a young woman suffering injuries after being trapped under her car for 12 hours; a toddler who has lodged a popcorn kernel in her ear; a combative young man injured in a high speed accident; a man rushed to the hospital whose condition deteriorates as the minutes pass; and the victim of an accidental gun shooting.

Viva La Trauma

Las Vegas, Nevada is one of America's fastest-growing cities — it has blossomed from a dusty outpost en route to California to one of the country's premiere vacation destinations. Greater Las Vegas' variety, color, and opportunities attracts people from all over the country. Anyone seriously injured in any type of trauma, from western Arizona to eastern California, is rushed to University Medical Center. In this episode, the emergency staff helps: two alleged gang members shot during a drive-by; a child injured after falling from a second story balcony; a man shot in the head and back; a young man who has been shot eight times; and a truck driver whose rig fell 80 feet from a highway overpass.

Keeping the Faith

One hundred miles northeast of New York City on the Long Island Sound lies the busy port city of New Haven, Connecticut. Home to one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, Yale University, it is a city of contrasts — from centuries-old, abandoned industrial plants to gleaming high-tech office towers, to poverty-stricken inner city neighborhoods, to the stately homes surrounding Yale. Serving the urban, suburban and rural communities, the E.R. team at Yale-New Haven Hospital faces such trauma cases as multiple car crashes, farm equipment accidents and inner city gangland shootings nearly every day. In this episode, the team treats: a man who jumps out of a third story window to escape a fire; a young woman who has been struck by a hit-and-run driver; a smoke-inhalation patient whose condition suddenly becomes life-threatening; a teenager hit by a car and thrown off his bike; an elderly woman with a neck laceration; and a construction worker who has become paralyzed after being struck by a 7,000-pound steel beam.

Under Pressure

Fresno, in the heart of California's Central Valley, was once a scantly populated farming community. Now, although it still holds its place as one of the largest agricultural areas in the country, the city has been transformed into a small metropolis with more than 1.5 million residents. New people arrive on a daily basis — and as the city grows, so does that patient load at Fresno's University Medical Center. UMC's medical staff makes sure that everyone who is rushed through the hospital doors receives good and fair medical treatment. In this episode, the staff helps: a teenager who was ejected from her car during an accident; a young man with a gunshot wound to the head; and a motorist suffering from a severe head injury after driving his car into a pole.

The Bleeding Heartland

Seven of the nation's major highways pass through downtown Indianapolis, bringing half of the country's population within a day's drive. Those open roads have paved the way to a host of urban problems … and forever changed the once-wholesome character of this heartland city. A consequence of Indianapolis' rapid growth has been a trail of blood in the heartland. The city's oldest and last surviving public hospital, Wishard Memorial, is there to close the wounds and, often, provide a refuge. In this episode, the medical team helps: a woman shot four times at close range by her lover; a man left severely bleeding from gunshot wounds to his stomach; two brothers rushed into trauma with potentially fatal gun injuries; one lucky man who walked out with minor injures after a bullet grazes his neck; and a medical mystery involving a woman who shows symptoms of both MS and Lupus.

Staying Afloat

Every year, Tampa celebrates Gasparilla Day to commemorate Jose Gaspar, a fictional pirate who invaded the city. Gasparilla is Tampa's version of Mardi Gras and as such, attracts a huge, unruly crowd. As Tampa prepares for this weeklong event, so does Tampa General Hospital. The region's only level-one trauma center will face a revolving door of injuries, including: a woman attacked by an alligator while swimming in a lake; a truck driver run off the road and pinned underneath his 18-wheeler; a man with a large piece of meat stuck in his throat; a local celebrity diagnosed with diabetes; a man who risks losing an eye after being hit head-on by a drunk driver; a middle-aged man who needs an immediate operation to fix a hole in his stomach; and a 20-year old woman shot in the chest.

60 min

Standing Tall

The people of Dallas are full of pride and courage. Like their cattlemen and gunfighter ancestors, they stand tall in the face of adversity. This same strength of character often leads these people to risky behavior. The staff at Baylor University Medical Center stands larger than life by restoring their health and independence. In this episode, the medical team handles the following cases: a 21-year-old rodeo champion whose bull bucked him off and stomped on his leg; a combative 19-year-old assault victim who may have a serious head injury; a 60-year-old man injured when a house collapsed on his head and leg; a 39-year-old motor scooter rider who wiped out and is bleeding internally; a 3-year-old suffering from seizures; a 26-year-old man seriously injured after a motor vehicle accident; and one of the doctors' own sons, who is treated for a chin laceration.

60 min

Luck of the Draw

Albuquerque, New Mexico — a stunning city nestled in the Rio Grande Valley. With an average of 310 days of sunshine a year, people from near and far marvel at the natural wonders this place has to offer. But there's a darker side to Albuquerque that's never far away. Sometimes, the difference between the splendor and the danger ... is just the luck of the draw. The staff at University of New Mexico Hospital, the state's only level-one trauma center, has seen it all, including in this episode: a 26-year-old man who broke his leg in a motorcycle accident; a man who shot himself in the hip while cleaning his gun; a criminal who stabbed himself in the stomach with a pen during transport; an infant with severe breathing problems; a 32-year-old male assaulted on his girlfriend's lawn; a middle-aged man hurt in a serious car accident; a 57-year old man scalped by a flying bullet; a woman badly bruised in a horseback-riding accident; and a 29-year-old male with multiple stab wounds to the chest, abdomen and back.

Built to Last

University Medical Center in Las Vegas is the only Level One Trauma Center within ten thousand miles. In an effort to grow with the nation's fastest growing city, UMC has constructed a brand new, computerized, state of the art emergency department. It has been scheduled to open in a few days — the staff is excited and nervous but positive that the change will be interesting. Some of the staff members that we will focus on are: Dr. Angeline Fitzgerald, attending physician in emergency medicine for 8 years. Originally from Albuquerque, Fitzy, as she's known, has freedom to make time for her kids; Dr. Frank Goudreau is a fourth year orthopedic resident who misses his family in Michigan; Bill Peabody is, in his own words, an excellent nurse. He's been at UMC for 4 years and was inspired to become a nurse while studying to be a monk; and Dr. Ron Dean is a nine year veteran emergency medicine doctor.

To Serve With Love

With the heat of the summer in the "city of angels," few places inspire a more visceral fear than south central L.A., yet few places also inspire more hope. Set like a diamond in the rough — sandwiched between Watts and Compton — the Martin Luther King/Drew Medical Center is a safe haven for this community. The dedicated staff at King/Drew is committed to mending, nurturing and healing a community all too often overlooked and under-served. In this hour, the King/Drew trauma team fights to save: a 10-year-old boy hit by a car while riding his bicycle; a man who is robbed and beaten in a nearby alley; a two-year-old with a history of seizures; and a man in a diabetic coma.

Bright Lights, Big Trauma

Once a barren desert, Las Vegas is now a community of more than a million people living their dreams. When dreams suddenly turn into nightmares, the surrounding community looks to University Medical Center — the only Level One trauma center in the entire state of Nevada. In this episode, it's business as usual as the staff of UMC fights to save lives including: a teenager hit by an ambulance; a six-year-old boy hit by a gravel truck; a young girl who shoots herself in the hand; and a man shot with a BB gun while trying to protect his sister from an ex-boyfriend.

Preventive Measures

Columbus, a capital city, nestled in the heart of the "Buckeye" state, is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation. Grant Medical Center, located in the heart of downtown, has a reputation of being one of the leading trauma centers in Ohio. The doctors and nurses here pride themselves on the high level of care they give to truly sick and injured patients. In this episode, they fight to save: a 44-year old woman shot several times in a robbery; a young man who narrowly escapes death after being shot in the chest; an elderly victim of a head-on collision and a 30-year old woman who is unresponsive after a car accident.

The Learning Curve

A centuries-old city on Long Island Sound, New Haven is a bustling port with a storied past. Once a colonial whaling town, New Haven's most famous landmark — Yale University — continues to thrive today. A Level One trauma center, Yale-New Haven Hospital serves the city and the neighboring suburban and rural communities of southern Connecticut. The emergency staff here cares for New Haven’s most dire medical cases. In this episode they treat: a hospital orderly who is the victim of crossfire from a shootout; a man who collides down an embankment after losing control of his car; a man who is impaled by a branch while cutting down a tree; and a groundskeeper who is thrown from his tractor.

Brave Decisions

In Fresno, California, the neighborhoods are small-town friendly, the people display a patriotic spirit and the city exudes a strong sense of the western frontier. Yet, even in the midst of such American beauty, dreams are often broken and worlds can be changed in an instant. When unexpected dangers threaten lives, the surgeons and emergency physicians at University Medical Center make brave decisions at every turn. In this episode, they diagnose and treat injured and ill patients in the valley, including: a 44-year old former stuntman injured in a bike accident; a 22-year-old man stabbed by an assailant; an elderly women involved in a car crash; a man with a stubbornly dislocated jaw; and a young man who's been severely burned in a camping accident.

Speed Fever

Every spring, the city of Indianapolis roars to life with the legendary Indy 500. Hundreds of thousands of eager fans — enough to fill ten Super Bowls — gather around the track on race day. The preparations for the Indy 500, however, are nearly as outsized as the race itself. A week before the checkered flag drops, downtown Indianapolis swells with fans for the annual Indy 500 parade. Locals revel in the roar of engines and the swirl of pageantry, bursting with pride at their celebrated race. The parade, like the many events leading up to the race itself, also reflects a city obsessed with speed. Fast times sometimes lead to sudden tragedies, and the doctors and nurses at Wishard Memorial Hospital know this all too well. During the Indy 500 race week, they prepare themselves for anything, knowing that the imminent arrival of millions of race fans can propel the trauma rooms from zero to overflowing in what seems like the blink of an eye.