Who should you contact for patients meeting trauma center criteria?

• A. A designated trauma center
• B. Rady Children's Hospital
• C. Sharp Memorial Hospital
• D. UCSD Medical Center

Answer: (A)

When a patient meets trauma center criteria, you should contact the designated trauma center for your region. These centers are predesignated to receive severely injured patients and will immediately activate the full trauma team, mobilize necessary resources (surgeons, imaging, blood products, ICU care), and coordinate rapid transfer if needed. Other hospitals may be busy general facilities and are not guaranteed to activate the specialized trauma response, which can delay definitive care. If the designated center isn’t reachable, follow regional protocols for alternative activation, but the starting action is to notify the designated trauma center.