Polytrauma

Since prehistoric times, physicians have been called upon to treat polytrauma patients. However, the demand for treatment has increased dramatically in the last 40 years, as the incidence of high velocity trauma has risen, and following the introduction of the concept of damage control. In developed countries, political decisions impacting on road safety (by measures such as motorway construction programmes and safety-oriented legislation) and on safety in the workplace have reduced the number of polytrauma deaths occurring each year. In consequence, the three main variables currently responsible for the successful outcome of many patients are rapid attention/transport from the accident site to specialised facilities, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.