During consult with the Trauma Center/Base Hospital, transport to a designated Trauma Center is advisable if passenger space intrusion is greater than how many inches into an unoccupied space?

During consult with the Trauma Center/Base Hospital, transport to a designated Trauma Center is advisable if passenger space intrusion is greater than how many inches into an unoccupied space?

• A. >18 inches
• B. >12 inches
• C. >6 inches
• D. >24 inches

Answer: (A)

When deciding to activate trauma center resources, the key sign is how much the passenger space has been intruded into an area that would normally be unoccupied. If that intrusion exceeds 18 inches, it reflects significant cabin deformation and a high likelihood of serious injuries, even if the patient initially looks stable. That level of intrusion warrants consulting with the Trauma Center/Base Hospital and transporting to a designated Trauma Center so the patient can receive immediate, definitive trauma care. This threshold is used to balance identifying truly serious injuries without overloading trauma centers with less-injured patients. Intrusion less than 18 inches could still involve injuries, but the policy uses 18 inches as the clear cutoff for escalation.

When deciding to activate trauma center resources, the key sign is how much the passenger space has been intruded into an area that would normally be unoccupied. If that intrusion exceeds 18 inches, it reflects significant cabin deformation and a high likelihood of serious injuries, even if the patient initially looks stable. That level of intrusion warrants consulting with the Trauma Center/Base Hospital and transporting to a designated Trauma Center so the patient can receive immediate, definitive trauma care.

This threshold is used to balance identifying truly serious injuries without overloading trauma centers with less-injured patients. Intrusion less than 18 inches could still involve injuries, but the policy uses 18 inches as the clear cutoff for escalation.