Texas trauma surgeon who treated children injured in the Uvalde school shooting shooting claimed that her and her team quickly mobilized after being notified. They also knew how to respond to the Sutherland Springs shooting of 2017, which left 26 people dead.
“Sadly, and we were prepared for, and thought that we would receive more patients than we actually did,” Dr. Lillian Liao of University Hospital in San Antonio, who is the director of pediatric trauma, told CBS News.
Liao stated that it can take several hours to remove victims from the scene. However, thanks to measures such as a South Texas blood transfusion program in 2020 that was established, trauma teams were able begin treating patients faster.
She stated that this is why all parts of the country need a strong trauma system. It coordinates care and gets patients to the right facility in shortest time.
Liao stated that the injuries suffered by children in Tuesday’s mass shooting were caused by “high-velocity firearm injury.” She said that these weapons had a greater impact on the body than injuries from handguns.
The damage to children can be more severe, she said. She said that children have a smaller body than adults, so if a projectile strikes them at high velocity, it will cause more damage. As a result, internal damage to organs and other significant body parts is more likely.
She said, “You can bleed yourself to death in five minutes.”
Liao answered a question about her team’s performance and said they were trying to remain positive.
She cried, saying that her current focus was to take care of the patients she had received. “And helping them get out of the hospital so that they can live their lives to the fullest.”
She stated that they are grateful to have been able to reach out to the families of the wounded and inform them their child is still in good health. They also explained what care they had planned for the next 24 hours.
She said, “We feel fortunate to have such strong teams in the region.” “It’s important to have the University Hospital and the hospital to be able put together an effort to save lives, if we ever have to deal again with mass casualty situations.”
