Inside The Trauma Center

From the sky, descends an emergency. On the ground a team waits:"A 2 year old hit the back of her head and had a seizure." It's 5pm... Delray Medical Center's Trauma Team suits up. Little Elise Romero fell on her head, possibly causing brain damage. The toddler was flown in by Trauma Hawk so that doctors and nurses can quickly diagnose the extent of her injuries."Clear her airway first!" says Doctor Pete Gonzalez who notices that Elise is alert and there are no signs of bleeding. But he's worried, do her screams mean she is scared or is it hidden pain? Trying to calm the girl the doctor tells her "I am sorry sweetheart."Gonzalez orders a scan of her brain to find out if there is any internal bleeding. As those snapshots are taken the overhead PA cries out "trauma alert, No ETA."

5:45pm:

The Trauma Team gets a call of a nasty vehicle accident in Boynton Beach. A woman in her 20's is rushed by ambulance after she was thrown from her car. Gonzalez mobilizes the trauma team again... in what is carefully choreographed chaos. Dr. Pete Gonzalez who is a trauma surgeon told CBS News12, "I am at the head of them. Team, the patient will be placed on the gurney and depending on status, anesthesia, we may incubate, or put IV's on the patient." Doctor attempts to take the patient history, "any surgeries in the past, allergic to anything?" But the woman is able to talk and has an awful gash on her forearm after being thrown from her car. The whole team surrounds her like a cocoon. The Trauma team's mission: to quickly stabilize and diagnose as Michelle Sutton the trauma director at Delray Medical Center says "if you are injured and you come into a Trauma center that golden hour is precipitated by someone who is going to be here ready to save your life."

6 PM:

Another trauma call: this time it is a man in his fifties who fell at a fast food restaurant and is completely unresponsive. Wheeled in to a trauma room that is already filling up.The doctors from the helicopter tells the ground doctors as he drops off the patient "I decided to bring him in quickly, (rather) than wait 10 or 12 minutes." As Flight Medics brief the trauma team, re-enforcements are called in. Two teams are now working in the trauma center; one tending to the female crash victim, another assessing the man who fell. "You have to do things quick, you have to make your decision quickly, and rely on your team to make sure you give the patient the best care," says Dr. Edgar Rodas, a trauma surgeon.   As night falls, the adrenaline keeps pumping at the 24 hour trauma center, one of two in Palm Beach County. Then, a familiar sight and sound goes once again:

8PM: A man in his twenties is flown in after he punched his right arm through a plate glass window. The team can't find a pulse in his arm. Despite his grave injury, the man starts thrashing around in pain. With blood pouring out from an artery there is no choice, but to incubate him. "Right now the trauma docs are trying to figure out exactly where this man is bleeding from before they take to the O.R." The decision is made. Someone from the trauma teams takes him into the operating room so surgeons can save his arm.

As for Elise, the 2 year old girl comes back from her scan and tells the tram to "say hi, dile hi." Elise is re-united with her mother, Marvelia Romero who is thankful she's alright and thankful to the men and women who tended to her little girl. "I really appreciate them and I thank them all for what they did for her," Marvelia told CBS News12.

In between patients only bloody remnants left of a battle to save lives. But this will be cleared up soon enough because the battle could begin once again, at any moment. When asked why the trauma team works so hard Sutton said "it's a passion. We are here to save lives."