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Trauma `isn't an accident'
- Article from:
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Chicago Sun-Times
- Article date:
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June 1, 1988
- Author:
- Steve Huntley
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Copyright informationCopyright (null) Chicago Sun-Times. (Hide copyright information)
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Accidents and crimes of violence are being viewed increasingly
as public health issues.
Seat belts and infant seats for cars are examples of that
approach.
"Trauma is a disease and we need to get that idea across," said
Dr. John Barrett, head of the Cook County Hospital trauma unit. He
argues against use of the word accident.
When someone is injured in a car smashup, "that wasn't an
accident," he said. "A set of events occurred that caused the
injury."
In many cases, he said, those events could have been prevented:
"He was injured because of inadequate street lighting or his car
didn't have the required safety features or because someone gave him
too much to drink."
Such thinking ...