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Level I Trauma Centers that Treat Dog Bites in Chicago
What is a Level I Trauma Center?
An Illinois trauma center is a hospital designated by the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide care to trauma patients. Trauma centers are assigned different levels based on factors such as the kinds of resources they have available and the number of patients admitted each year.
Level I is the highest designation for a trauma center. Level I trauma centers provide the most optimal level of trauma care to critically ill or injured patients. Patients receive comprehensive care throughout the medical process, spanning from prevention to rehabilitation.
Key features of Level I trauma centers include 24-hour services and nearly every surgical and medical specialty available in-house. They are required to have resources immediately on hand to treat even the most complex injuries a patient may sustain. Care specialties often include anesthesiology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, plastic surgery and critical care.
When dog bite patients arrive at Level I trauma centers, they have severe wounds that require coordination across multiple surgical specialties, such as pediatric trauma and facial trauma. The availability of specialized care gives dog bite victims the best chances of recovering from their injuries and surviving their trauma.
Level I Trauma Centers in Chicago
Dog bites are a big problem in Chicago. The city received 1,054 dog bite complaints in 2023, with the highest concentration of complaints in the South and West Sides.
While not all dog bites result in serious injuries, some dog attacks may involve severe harm that requires immediate treatment at a trauma center. Dogs can bite off ears and facial features, as well as cause extensive tissue damage. Some dog bite injuries can even be life-threatening. The Chicago area has multiple Level I trauma centers, including designated pediatric trauma centers that treat children.
- Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center: Level I Trauma Center
- Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago: Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
- John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County: Level I and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
- Mount Sinai Hospital: Level I Trauma Center
- Northwestern Memorial Hospital: Level I Trauma Center
- University of Chicago Medicine: Level I and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center
Spotlight on Dog Bite Cases at Chicago Level I Trauma Centers
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Lurie Children’s Trauma Center is a City of Chicago-designated Level I pediatric trauma center. The facility treats about 1,000 trauma patients with severe and life-threatening injuries each year, ranging from newborns to age 16.
Dog bites are among the most common types of injuries that Lurie Children’s handles. Dog attack-related trauma can involve many different body parts and organ systems. The hospital has a large team of trauma specialists on hand 24/7 from departments like neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery.
Patient case study
A plastic surgeon at Lurie Children’s Trauma Center reconstructed a child’s right ear after it was bitten off by a friend’s dog. The boy, who was four years old at the time of the dog bite, required reconstructive surgery to rebuild his ear.
Dr. Akira Yamada, a world-renowned plastic surgeon at Lurie Children’s, reformed the ear using a skin graft from the boy’s head and his rib cartilage. The surgeon based the reconstruction on his uninjured ear. The child underwent two surgeries, and his ear regained its former appearance upon healing.
Since then, the boy has resumed playing sports with only a small scar on his head. His mother commended the Lurie Children’s trauma team for their expertise and compassion in treating her son’s dog bite injury.
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
The John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County has one of the country’s busiest Level I trauma centers dedicated to providing specialty and sub-specialty care. The hospital is also a Level I pediatric trauma center that treats children who are age 2 or older.
The trauma team provides continuing care for injured patients as soon as they arrive at the center, all the way from surgery through rehabilitation. Patients are treated by the same doctors and nurses throughout their hospital stay, ensuring consistency in the quality of care.
The trauma center treats patients with a variety of serious injuries such as amputations, lacerations, serious bleeding and bone fractures. Patients with life-threatening injuries are taken straight to the trauma resuscitation areas. The hospital’s trauma department comprises 15 trauma resuscitation bays and 12 trauma intensive care beds. There is also an observation area where the trauma team monitors patients who require close attention during the first 24 hours after an injury.
Patient case study
The trauma team at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County treated a woman who suffered life-threatening injuries in a 2018 dog attack. In 2023, Marion Fowler, 73, traveled from her Nashville home to Chicago to thank the surgeons for saving her life.
Fowler was suddenly attacked by several dogs when she went outside for a walk during a funeral in Chicago in 2018. A nearby man saw the incident and used his vehicle to stop the attack. An ambulance rushed Fowler to Stroger Hospital with serious injuries.
Dr. Matt Kaminsky was the surgeon who treated Fowler upon her arrival at the trauma center. Describing the severity of her condition, he said the patient had “chunks of tissue gone” and “a very thready pulse.”
After spending weeks receiving life-saving care at the hospital, Fowler was transferred to a rehabilitation facility. The serious nature of her dog bite injuries meant that she had a challenging recovery that involved having to relearn how to use her arms and legs.
University of Chicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital
University of Chicago Medicine is a Level I trauma center and has the South Side’s only Level I pediatric trauma center at Comer Children’s Hospital. The facility is equipped to treat seriously injured patients of all ages 24 hours a day, with various specialties on hand.
Comer Children’s Hospital provides care to hundreds of children and teens with complex trauma injuries each year. The trauma center performs a broad range of plastic and reconstructive surgery for children who have suffered traumatic injuries.
Dog bites can result in severe injuries to the face. The trauma team has surgeons who are experienced in restoring a patient’s appearance through repairing soft tissue and skin, reshaping bone and rebuilding facial structures with implants.
Patient case study
One of the most serious dog bite cases treated at Comer Children’s Hospital involved an 8-year-old patient. The boy suffered horrific injuries when he was attacked by two family pit bulls in the backyard. The dogs ripped off his ears and nose, as well as layers of facial skin and muscle.
The boy had to undergo more than 60 facial reconstruction surgeries. After he arrived at the hospital, the trauma team spent the night cleaning his wounds and preparing a plan for reconstructing the parts of his face that were damaged.
Dr. Lawrence Gottlieb, director of the hospital’s Burn and Complex Trauma Center, described it as “a tremendous challenge” and one of the worst cases of facial trauma he had ever seen. A complication or infection could have threatened the patient’s life. Gottlieb was responsible for overseeing his treatment for about a decade.
The child had to undergo homeschooling due to the frequency of surgeries and checkups every few weeks. He also had to relearn how to talk, walk and write. The hospital assigned the boy a certified child life specialist to help him deal with the psychological and emotional trauma of the dog attack. Although surgeons have been successful in reconstructing his facial features, the boy will require lifelong ongoing care.
What to Do After a Dog Bite
If you or a loved one suffers a dog bite, you can perform basic first aid to prevent infection. The wound should be washed right away with running water and covered with a clean bandage. Be sure to see a doctor as soon as possible to check for deeper injuries to nerves, muscles or bones. You may require antibiotics, or a tetanus or rabies shot to prevent bacterial infections.
If a dog attack results in severe injuries, the victim should be taken to the ER or a trauma center for immediate treatment. In such circumstances, specialist care from a trauma team may be needed to prevent further complications, perform complex surgeries or administer life-saving treatment.
Contact the Dog Bite Lawyers at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg
Dog bites can result in expensive medical bills, particularly when the treatment involves specialist procedures like facial reconstruction or ongoing care at a trauma center. Dog bites also come with many other intangible costs, such as pain and suffering and the inability to lead a normal life.
If you were injured after being bitten by someone else’s dog, you have the right to pursue compensation. The experienced Chicago dog bite attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg are dedicated to helping dog bite victims recover the damages they deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more.
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