Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 15 - Mississippi Department of Health › Part 3 - Bureau of Acute Care Systems › Subpart 1 - Trauma System of Care › Appendix 15-3-1-B - Activation Criteria

Current through June 25, 2024
Alpha Activation1
* Confirmed blood pressure less than 90 mmHg at any time in
				  adults and age-specific hypotension in children 
				  2;
* Gunshot wounds to the neck, chest, abdomen or extremities
				  proximal to the elbow/knee;
* Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 9 with mechanism
				  attributed to trauma;
* Transfer patients from other hospitals receiving blood to
				  maintain vital signs;
* Intubated patients transferred from the scene, -OR-
				  patients who have respiratory compromise or are in need of an emergent airway
				  (includes intubated patients who are transferred from another facility with
				  ongoing respiratory compromise) (does not include patients intubated at another
				  facility who are now stable from a respiratory standpoint) 
				  3
* Emergency Physician/Hospital Provider Judgment
Bravo Activation4
* All other penetrating injuries to the head, neck, chest,
				  abdomen or extremities proximal to the elbow/knee;
* Open or depressed skull fracture;
* Paralysis or suspected spinal cord injury;
* Flail chest;
* Unstable pelvic fracture;
* Amputation proximal to the wrist or ankle;
* Two or more proximal long bone fractures (humerus or
				  femur)
* Crushed, degloved, or mangled extremity;
* Falls: patients < 16 years: falls greater than 10 feet
				  or 2-3 times the height of the child; patients >= 16 years: falls > 20
				  ft. (one story is equal to 10 ft.)
* High Risk auto crash: intrusion, including roof: >12
				  inches occupant site; intrusion 18 inches any unoccupied site; ejection
				  (partial or complete) from automobile; death in same passenger compartment;
				  auto vs. pedestrian/bicyclist, (separated from mode of transport with
				  significant impact)
* Motorcycle /ATV/ other motorized vehicle crash > 20 mph
* High-energy dissipation or rapid decelerating incidents,
				  including: ejection from motorcycle, ATV, or animal, striking fixed object with
				  momentum; blast or explosion
* Burns: >10% TBSA (second or third degree) and/or
				  inhalation injury;
* Suspicion of hypothermia, drowning or hanging (secondary
				  to traumatic mechanism)
* Suspected non-accidental trauma
* Blunt abdominal injury with firm or distended abdomen or
				  with seatbelt sign
* Emergency Physician/Hospital Provider Judgment
1 The criteria for Alpha Activation,
				  which is defined as full trauma team activation, follow the Minimum Criteria
				  for Full Trauma Team Activation as recommended by the American College of
				  Surgeons in (
Resources for Optimal Care of the Injured
				  Patient
, 2014).
2 Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP): <
				  1 year old with SBP < 60 mmHg; 1 year to 10 years old with SBP < 70 + (2
				  times age in years); > 10 years old with SBP < 90 mmHg.
3 Respiratory Compromise: < 16
				  years old with respiratory distress or signs of impending respiratory failure,
				  including airway obstruction or intubation in the field; 16 years and older
				  with respiratory rate less than 10 or greater than 29 breaths per minute or
				  need for ventilation support.
4 Bravo Activation is defined as
				  limited trauma team activation based on anatomic and mechanism of injury
				  criteria.