title: Does rural Mississippi have access to emergency neurosurgical care?
abstract: Acute neurosurgical emergencies are a potentially devastating occurrence requiring prompt evaluation and intervention by a neurosurgeon. Current consensus for acute subdural hematoma evacuation recommends a maximum time period of four hours from injury to operation; other injuries require prompt evaluation by a neurosurgeon but do not have soundly supported recommendations. Rural hospitals, such as Field Memorial Community Hospital in Centreville, MS, transfer acutely injured neurosurgical patients to centers with neurosurgical capability after initial stabilization. We report our experience with neurosurgical transfer patients and examine times from injury to arrival at neurosurgical care centers after being stabilized and transferred from Field Hospital.
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Medicine and School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle Michael
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fargen
authors.forename: Richard Jennings
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Richard Jennings
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008922:Mississippi; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012424:Rural Population; D013997:Time Factors; D014193:Trauma Centers