[2] Like much of the medical-based programming on TLC (and Discovery Life as well), the show was designed as a "real-life" version of a popular American TV series.
The first season consisted of several half-hour episodes, but by 1998, the series had expanded to a full hour, allowing for more time to follow cases as well as the lives of the doctors involved.
In addition, new medical privacy laws forbade recording patients before they (or their next-of-kin) gave permission.
)[4] The series was one of the first cinéma vérité style programs to be shot almost entirely on hand-held MiniDV camcorders by teams of videojournalists who were responsible for both the reporting and videography.
The show carries a warning at the beginning and on the opening frames of every return-from-commercial bumper: "Due to the graphic nature of this program, viewer discretion is advised".
Trauma was one of the first reality shows to deal with the controversial issue of health care professionals and blood-borne disease exposure.
Another episode set in Nashville, Tennessee featured a trauma surgical resident who was accidentally stuck with a needle while treating a patient who had shot himself after discovering he had Hepatitis C; the surgical resident was found to be negative for Hepatitis C but still went through the months of anti-viral medications to ensure he did not later develop the disease.
Episodes shot for both Trauma and Code Blue in New Orleans, Louisiana featured Dr. Eduardo Marvez-Valls, coordinator of E.R.
Dr. Marvez-Valls did not perform tasks that would involve excessive exposure to needles, such as suturing or IV insertion, but he continued diagnosing and treating patients in the E.R.
In response, one appeals court ruled that the format of the show technically qualified as news and that the series deserved the same protections under the law.
Charles Sims, an attorney for the show's producers, has dismissed the men's claims and asserted that all releases were obtained properly.
Focusing primarily on the doctors and surgeons, the show was produced by True Entertainment and filmed at Nashville Tennessee's Vanderbilt University Medical Center.