Detroit Grand Prix's trauma center prepared for any injury on the track and from the stands

There is a whole lot more than just fast cars and blocked-off streets when the grand prix returns to Detroit this weekend.

The trauma area will serve as the nerve center for emergency personnel during the Detroit Grand Prix. 

Big picture view:

With thousands heading to downtown Detroit for the fasting racing event of the year, there is an entire underbelly of medical professionals prepared to help both fans and drivers dealing with something unexpected.

It could be a life-threatening injury or chronic illness.

"For the drivers who drive on track if they are involved in any high-velocity injury or impact that involves any immediate or life-threatening illness, we are there to provide care," said Dr. Trifun Dimitrijevski.

Dimitrijevski is the Detroit Grand Prix medical director and is in charge of the entire venue, ensuring everyone on the course and watching from the stands is safe.

And if they can't handle issues at the track, they are ready to transport them to a place that can help.

Local perspective:

Dimitrijevski considered his base of operations the "nerve center."

"We can bring them here and stabilize them here before we would transport to the designated trauma center which is Detroit Receiving Hospital," he said.

They can put a tube down their throat, sedate them, or even hook someone up to a ventilator if they can't breathe.

"We have emergency medicine specialists from the DMC, we have trauma surgeons, burn surgeons," said Dimitrijevski. "We have a neurosurgeon here as well and a slew of nurses."

The Source: Interviews with staff at the Detroit Grand Prix. 

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