The extent of the patient's injuries must be determined before moving forward. "It is essential to maintain the blood flow and preserve function to the brain," said Dr. Mark A. Reynolds, a Trauma Surgeon and the Medical Director of McLeod Trauma Services. "That is why it is important to get to a trauma center within the first hour of the accident."

McLeod is one of two Level II Trauma Centers in the state. The other Level II Center is located in Anderson, South Carolina.

To be a Level II center requires that certain surgical specialists be on call and promptly available. Some of those specialists include obstetrics and gynecology, thoracic surgery, plastic and reconstructive surgery, orthopædic surgery, neurosurgery, and ophthalmology. Each of these specialists need to respond to the trauma alert within 30 minutes.

Along with the surgical specialties, Level II Trauma Centers are required to have an operating room, including the personnel, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Read the story of an actual trauma event