Trauma Transfer Protocols

Original Date: 07/01/2025

The following will be transferred from the MH-Katy ED to the MH-TMC ED

  • Injuries:
    • Cardiac or mediastinal injury potentially requiring cardiopulmonary bypass
    • Possible cardiac or mediastinal injury in patient with a history of sternotomy
    • Any patient in need of ophthalmologic consultation.
    • Burns >5% TBSA or ≤5% TBSA over sensitive anatomic areas likely needing admission to the hospital
    • Distal ureteral or bladder neck injuries
    • Patient with the following facial injuries: pan facial fractures, face fractures with loss of tissue, orbital fractures with retrobulbar hemorrhage or extraocular muscle entrapment, ballistic facial fractures
    • Extremity amputations eligible for possible replantation (patient to be triaged by ED provider in conjunction with the on-call Hand surgeon)
    • Any injury for which we do not have capacity to care
  • Situations:
    • Trauma saturation
    • Neurosurgery saturation

The following injuries or conditions will be transferred from inpatient MH Katy to inpatient MH-TMC

  • Injuries:
    • Delayed development or recognition of cardiac or mediastinal injury potentially requiring cardiopulmonary bypass
    • Delayed development or recognition of cardiac or mediastinal injury in patient with history of sternotomy potentially requiring cardiopulmonary bypass
    • Delayed recognition of ophthalmologic injury requiring surgery
    • Delayed recognition of distal ureter or bladder neck injury
    • Any injury for which we do not have capacity to care
  • Conditions:
    • Acute respiratory distress syndrome requiring ECMO

Physician to Physician Communication

  • If a patient is deemed to have one of the injuries requiring transfer to MH TMC, the MH Katy Emergency Department provider or Trauma surgeon (if consulted) will conference with the MH TMC Trauma/Burn surgeon.

Transfer should be initiated within 1 hour of identification of injury. Patient should leave ER to transferring facility within 6 hours of acceptance.

Each transfer will be reviewed for appropriateness by the trauma program and be reported at the monthly Trauma Operations meeting.