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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 30.08.14.05" title_num="30" subtitle_num="08" chapter_num="14" heading="Facility and Unit Capabilities.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Hand and upper extremity trauma facilities shall be able to optimally and comprehensively care for every patient with an isolated upper extremity injury from the time the patient arrives at the hospital through acute treatment, rehabilitation, reconstruction, and re-entry into the work force.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Hand and upper extremity trauma area facilities shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A suite of rooms identified and specialized for examination and treatment of hand and upper extremity trauma emergencies in the hospital's emergency department with:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A medical director or representative on the hospital's emergency services committee that shall oversee the management of the hand and upper extremity trauma center; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Appropriate nurse leaders who shall be responsible for all venues in which hand and upper extremity trauma care is rendered;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Organized and specialized equipment and supplies to care for hand and upper extremity trauma including specialized prepackaged sterile surgical sets located in the hand trauma rooms to enable the performance of procedures including, but not limited to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Exploration and debridement of complex hand injuries;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Bony debridement and shortening;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Thermal injury care;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Tendon repair;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Full and partial thickness skin grafts;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Composite tissue grafts; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Repair of simple and complex skin lacerations;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Pneumatic tourniquets;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>High intensity light;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Surgical loupes;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Power equipment for skeletal fixation;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Figure traps for fracture reduction;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Casting material in a variety of sizes and compositions;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Metallic malleable splints;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>Plastic or prefabricated splits;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(11)">
      <text>Specialized dressings for hand injuries including burns;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(12)">
      <text>Local anesthetics; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(13)">
      <text>Doppler unit for vascular assessment.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>The hospital shall have appropriate staffing and equipment readily available to offer the following services to patients in the hand and upper extremity trauma area:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Standard stationary radiography;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Portable C-Arm fluoroscopy;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Diagnostic vascular imaging;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Interventional vascular procedures;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>CT and MRI scans;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>MR angiography;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Radionuclide scanning; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Ultrasonography.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>The hospital shall have a direct communication link to the State communication network including:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>SYSCOM;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Prehospital providers; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Referring hospitals.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>The hospital shall have pharmacy support to provide all needed medications 24 hours a day.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center operating room shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Equipment for the treatment of all hand and upper extremity injuries reconstructive procedures;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A specially trained and dedicated operating room team for hand surgery, musculoskeletal care, or both;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Continuous availability of the operating suite with an in-house operating room scrub team 24 hours a day; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Specialized equipment readily available to enable:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Microvascular tissue replantation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Microvascular free tissue transfer;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Microsurgical nerve repair;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Internal and external fixation of all bones of the upper extremity;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Intraoperative vascular evaluation;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Upper extremity endoscopy; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Upper extremity arthroscopy.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center inpatient unit shall have a nursing unit for the care of the patient with upper extremity injuries that provides nursing staff who are:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Specially educated and demonstrate competencies in the postoperative evaluation of limb replantation and revascularization;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Able to independently monitor the tissue perfusion of replanted limbs; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Specially educated in the care and postoperative monitoring of free tissue transfers.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center hand therapy unit shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A specialized area for inpatient and outpatient care utilizing individualized occupational and physical therapy techniques directed specifically towards the rehabilitation of the upper extremity;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Certified and licensed occupational and physical therapists;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Staff designated or qualified to be designated as certified hand therapist by the “Hand Therapy Certification Commission”;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Regular educational programs presented by the therapy staff;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>A facility for the fabrication of custom individualized splints; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>The ability to care for the following types of clinical problems:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Flexor tendon repair and reconstruction;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Extensor tendon repair and reconstruction;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Nerve repair or reconstruction;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Tendon transfers;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Thermal injuries;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Repetitive stress and cumulative trauma disorders;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(g)">
        <text>Training in the use of prosthetic devices; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(h)">
        <text>Upper extremity replantation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center work rehabilitation services shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A CARF-accredited area dedicated to facilitating the transition of the injured worker back into the workforce;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Equipment to stimulate and practice the activities required at the majority of work sites;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Computerized analysis of multiple physical parameters required for performance in the workplace;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The ability to evaluate ergonomic factors in the scenario of the workers' stations; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Social services to aid in the transition of the injured worker back into the workplace.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center outpatient clinical area shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A dedicated adaptation hand clinic area for the evaluation and treatment of hand and upper extremity trauma patients on a nonemergent basis; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>A hand and upper extremity medical staff physician responsible for the overall clinical coordination and care delivery.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="K.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center microvascular laboratory shall have:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A facility to practice the microsurgical techniques needed in the acute treatment and reconstruction of upper extremity trauma victims;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Animal surgery available to simulate the human situation; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Individualized instruction in microsurgery.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="L.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center anatomy laboratory shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Have a facility for the dissection of human and animal specimens; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Facilitate instruction in pertinent anatomy implicit in the treatment of hand and upper extremity trauma victims.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="M.">
    <text>The hand and upper extremity trauma center information support services shall:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Provide educational support services including:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Preparation and dissemination of hand and upper extremity trauma educational information for:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Patients;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Providers; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>The public;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>An Internet server for disseminating information regarding patient education and public safety;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Audiovisual facilities to produce materials for presentations and patient education; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>A robust conference schedule with rotating didactic lectureships covering the germinal information in the field of hand and upper extremity surgery;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Provide psychosocial support, including a certified psychologist and a licensed social worker with special expertise in the evaluation and treatment of hand and upper extremity trauma victims; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Provide an amputee-prosthetic clinic as a regional resource for amputee prosthetics using a team approach for management of post trauma patients with hand or upper extremity amputations, which team shall include one or more of each of the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Prosthetist;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Social worker;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Hand therapist;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Hand resident;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Hand fellow; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Attending hand surgeon.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>