Traffic Unit

What is the traffic unit?

This unit provides multidisciplinary care to patients with injuries caused by a traffic accident. The teamwork of different medical specialties is essential, as an accident victim may present a variety of injuries.

The doctors in this service are prepared to handle emergencies and address conditions requiring long-term treatment. Additionally, an administrative team handles the necessary procedures to complete the documentation for car insurance and health insurance. This way, the patient and their family only need to focus on recovery.

What does the traffic unit study?

There are different types of injuries caused by traffic accidents, so the field of study in this unit is vast. The doctors in this unit gain general knowledge across all areas to provide the best care possible for patients. However, each one belongs to a specific medical specialty:

• Emergency medicine: They receive accident victims and perform initial resuscitation efforts when necessary, handling life-threatening situations.
• Psychology: They address the emotional impact of losing a loved one or dealing with severe consequences, such as amputations or sudden loss of mobility.
• Traumatology: They treat muscular, bone, and joint injuries, which are the most common after a traffic accident.
• Internal medicine: They use their general knowledge to evaluate the damage and, when necessary, determine the order in which injuries should be treated to ensure the patient’s safest recovery.
• Plastic surgery: They perform reconstructive surgeries to aid the functional and aesthetic recovery of patients with burns, abrasions, open wounds, or deformities.
• Maxillofacial surgery: They repair fractures in the jaw, mandible, or nose.
• Radiodiagnostics: They use various techniques to thoroughly assess the patient's condition and evaluate the damage before starting treatment.

Who is this unit for?

This unit is focused on individuals with injuries caused by a traffic accident. It caters to both patients requiring urgent care and those needing long-term treatment for full recovery.

Techniques, procedures, and diagnostic methods

Patient care in this unit is very diverse, as each individual presents different circumstances. An accident victim may arrive in an emergency or may feel discomfort days later, once the body has relaxed from the traumatic event.

To diagnose a condition caused by an accident or assess the severity of the injuries, methods such as the following are commonly used:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): Provides detailed images of bones, organs, and tissues.
• Computed tomography (CT): Offers three-dimensional images of tissues and organs.
• Ultrasound: Allows a quicker view of the internal structures of the body compared to the previous techniques.

Among the treatments most commonly used in these cases are:

• Rehabilitation: Helps minimize the aftermath and recover lost muscle function after the accident. Physiotherapy is one of the most frequently used procedures.
• Minor or major surgery: Surgical interventions repair damage to internal organs.
• Psychotherapy: Addresses the emotional aftermath of the accident, both for those affected and their loved ones.