Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dallas Shooting: 'It Was Like A War Zone,' ER Doctors Recount
In major emergencies, hospital staff usually have some warning -- however brief -- to prepare. Clinicians can mobilize and ambulance crews can try to stabilize patients en route. That wasn’t the case this time. “The way that we knew we had critically injured patients was that they arrived,” said Dr. Michael Foreman, medical director of trauma, and one of the surgeons on duty the night of the shooting. “At that point, we just do what we're trained to do.” (Rice, 7/9)
...1 in 5 surgeons had symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and two-thirds had at least one symptom of secondary traumatic stress. Symptoms of STS mimic PTSD, and it is often described as indirect PTSD. Doctors and emergency responders with STS can suffer sleep disturbances and anxiety, and they can find themselves reliving painful memories. (Yasmin, 7/10)
