Recently, the Netflix original drama Severe Trauma Center gained great popularity, achieving a 138.7% surge in its buzz index just two weeks after its release.
Portraying life-or-death emergency situations, the drama delivered tension to viewers while vividly depicting the hardships and dedication of medical staff in real healthcare settings through the outstanding performances of the main actors, thereby enhancing the immersion of the storyline and receiving positive responses.
Trauma refers to injuries to the body caused by external physical impacts or pressure, classified according to their degree and severity. These range from minor traumas such as small wounds, abrasions, and bruises to serious traumas requiring emergency treatment, including bleeding, fractures, and organ damage.
Severe trauma involves simultaneous injuries to multiple areas or extensive and serious damage that can be life-threatening. Representative cases include damage to major organs such as the brain, heart, and liver, internal organ bleeding, large third-degree burns, spinal injuries, and multiple fractures.
Although such traumas may seem like incidents that only occur in dramas, in reality, trauma can happen to anyone in everyday life.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s "2023 Community-Based Severe Trauma Survey Statistics," the main causes of severe trauma were transportation accidents (49.1%), falls and slips (43.8%), blunt trauma (4.1%), and penetrating injuries (1.8%). The locations of occurrence were roads and other traffic areas outside roads (49.0%), homes and residential facilities (25.5%), and industrial and agricultural facilities (14.4%), indicating that accidents occurring in daily life can lead to severe trauma.
Examining the occurrence status by type of transportation accident, the incidence involving pedestrians or vehicles has decreased, but the use of personal mobility devices such as electric kickboards and electric wheelchairs has increased, resulting in about a threefold rise in incidence. (0.7% in 2016 → 2.6% in 2023)
Among patients visiting emergency rooms due to personal mobility device accidents, 75% were not wearing helmets. Considering that over 40% of severe trauma patients suffer head injuries, raising awareness about safe use of personal mobility devices, including helmet use, is urgently needed.
Yoon Chang-guk, Head of the Regional Emergency Medical Center at Daedong Hospital and an emergency medicine specialist, advised, “The dramatic emergency situations depicted in dramas may seem unrelated to reality, but they can happen to anyone in various forms. Safety rules prevent trauma and are crucial factors that determine the severity and prognosis of trauma when accidents occur, so they must be recognized and practiced.”
To prevent transportation accidents, obey traffic laws such as speed limits, traffic signals, and prohibitions on illegal parking, avoid drunk driving, and use public transportation after taking medications that may impair driving ability, such as those causing drowsiness. Always wear seat belts and refrain from using smartphones while driving. Regularly check tires, brakes, turn signals, and lights, and take breaks if fatigue or drowsiness reduces concentration.
Since personal mobility devices expose the body externally while in use, wear protective gear such as helmets and adhere to passenger limits. Absolutely avoid driving under the influence of alcohol, and refrain from using mobile phones or wearing earphones as these can cause accidents. Avoid using these devices in bad weather or at night, comply with traffic laws, maintain safe distances, and drive slowly.
To prevent falls and slips, avoid slippery or dark places such as wet or snowy roads, use hiking boots and trekking poles when hiking, and choose routes suitable for your physical condition. At home, keep things organized to eliminate obstacles, and apply anti-slip treatments to stairs and bathrooms.
Since the speed of emergency treatment after a trauma accident greatly affects severity and prognosis, it is important to immediately call 119 for help if symptoms are judged to be serious.
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