List Archives

Tue Mar 31 16:01:30 BST 2009

I have to just chip in from the lurking compartment.  The problem is a 
linguistic one.  Trauma means injury.  Full stop. It is used in different 
ways by different people.  Psychological trauma, thermal trauma, penetrating 
trauma, minor trauma, they are all types of trauma (or types of injury, if 
you prefer).  One of the oddest usages, in the UK anyway, is to describe 
something as "traumatic injury."  This is just a repetition.  I would 
suggest that the only way to be clear is to use qualifying phrases .... 
"major multiple trauma" "emotional trauma" etc.  Sorry if this is not very 
helpful.  Psychologists should not claim the word, but nor should surgeons!
Jonathan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Blueflightmedic" <trauma at emergencyunit.com>
To: "'Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list'" <trauma-list at trauma.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 31, 2009 1:27 PM
Subject: RE: An authoritative definition of "trauma"

> Easy; you are being too inclusive. Trauma is injury sustained from the
> application of force to tissue excess to the tissue's ability to handle 
> it.
>
> Calling psychological upset 'trauma' has confused separate entities for 
> too
> long.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org 
> [mailto:trauma-list-bounces at trauma.org]
> On Behalf Of Howard Berkowitz
> Sent: 27 March 2009 13:51
> To: Trauma &amp; Critical Care mailing list
> Subject: An authoritative definition of "trauma"
>
>
> Rather to my surprise, there is no pure definition of "trauma" at
> Trauma.org. Here's my challenge: I'm dealing with a wiki article where 
> some
> advocates want to focus on stress disorders (to say nothing of recovered
> memory therapies) that are secondary only to psychogenic events, and 
> mostly
> child abuse (and, in this case, ritual abuse conspircies).  They are
> preempting the word "trauma" as a synonym for child abuse; they are 
> ignoring
> even combat stress.
>
> I want to start a core article on trauma that then can branch into the 
> sort
> of multisystem trauma that is of chief interest here, but also include
> psychogenic traumas. Once that structure exists, I'd like to invite
> participation, but I need to solve the immediate hijacking of the concept.
>
> If there really is no good formal source that can be used, can a consensus
> definition be created here?
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Quick access to Windows Live and your favorite MSN content with Internet
> Explorer 8.
> http://ie8.msn.com/microsoft/internet-explorer-8/en-us/ie8.aspx?ocid=B037MSN
> 55C0701A
> --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
> To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:
> http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/
>
> --
> trauma-list : TRAUMA.ORG
> To change your settings or unsubscribe visit:
> http://www.trauma.org/index.php?/community/
>
> 

List Archives

For your convenience, find the Trauma List Archive Below

An authoritative definition of "trauma"