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The Eighth Edition of Trauma spans more than three decades of development, implementation, and maturation of trauma as an academic discipline. While the term “acute care surgery” has emerged recently, trauma surgeons have always been the go-to surgeon for emergent care, and trauma remains the core. We are very fortunate to have served as editors throughout this period in history, and truly represent the first generation of trauma surgeons in the United States. We experienced the golden age of trauma surgery, during an era in which we did it all: visceral and vascular, torso and extremities. At the outset, virtually all seriously injured patients underwent operative management, primarily based on clinical assessment with the aid of plain x-rays and the venerable diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL). Decisions were relatively straightforward since few alternatives existed, and few had the courage to challenge our behavior. By contrast, today the emphasis is on avoiding an operation, and multiple disciplines are involved in the decision making. There is no lack of oversight, monitoring, and data reporting. But the unquestionable benefactor has been the patient, who now survives devastating injuries once considered uniformly lethal. This edition may be the last for us as editors, because we have always believed that to be effective, we must remain active in the trenches to understand the importance of new concepts. While we are all very active in trauma care today, all good things must come to an end.
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In the Eighth Edition of Trauma, as in the previous editions, we have changed approximately one-third of the authors to ensure the most current knowledge in all topics. In addition, we have expanded our Trauma Atlas, which is designed to provide a quick reference when performing procedures in the ED, OR, or SICU. We are pleased to include a new Trauma Video section, which provides an extensive compilation of technical procedures for the trauma surgeon.
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Finally, the editors acknowledge the invaluable assistance of many individuals who have made the Eighth Edition a reality. We are extremely grateful to the authors who have sacrificed their valuable time to share their experience, knowledge, and expertise. The Trauma Video section was generously provided by Demetrios Demetriades and Kenji Inaba, who clearly have seen it all at USC/LA County. Mike de la Flor was persistent and patient in rendering accuracy in the Trauma Atlas. The professional support of McGraw-Hill Education was essential at all levels of publishing; we want to specifically thank Brian Belval, Executive Editor of the Medical Division, and Christie Naglieri, Senior Project Development Editor. And of course, we want to especially recognize the tremendous work of our respective Administrative Assistants: Jo Fields (EEM), Karen Lynn and Victoria Dodge (DVF), and Mary Allen (KLM).
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Ernest E. Moore, MD
David V. Feliciano, MD
Kenneth L. Mattox, MD