Modern approach to management of patients following major trauma

Trauma remains one of the three main causes of death all over the world. In Poland severe trauma is also an important public health problem which should be fully recognised in the changing system of our health service. There is a growing understanding and interest in the integration of pre-hospital, in-hospital and rehabilitation services taking part in the management of trauma patients. The importance of emergency medicine departments has been found valuable in Western countries and should be promoted by all means in our country. Certain recommendations of treatment of patients following severe trauma have been discussed concerning anti-shock therapy, diagnostic and operative management in polytraumatized patients with major head trauma, thoracic and abdominal trauma and also operative stabilization of fractures of bones. It has been concluded that in our country, especially in bigger cities, patients following major trauma should be treated in specially designed units (centers) integrated with emergency medicine departments providing competent intensive therapy and surgical interventions of well trained trauma teams introducing optimal modern trauma algorithms.