[Polytraumatized patient. First aid care, transport and resuscitation]

The initial management of multiple trauma must achieve a triple aim: performing the actions required by a vital emergency, preventing as well as possible the complications associated with the initial lesions, and, most importantly, bringing the injured person into hospital in the best possible conditions for emergency surgery. Achieving these aims requires a perfect coordination of medical and nonmedical rescue. A rough initial categorization is important to decide whether additional medical staff is desirable, choose the type of transport planned (by ambulance, helicopter...) as well as the department or hospital due to receive the patient. Four actions must be accomplished, most often jointly, all of them contributing to the quality of treatment: 1. picking up/freeing/immobilizing the injured person, 2. controlling the hypovolemic collapse and the traumatic shock, 3. dealing with the associated distresses, 4. suppressing pain. The techniques used to pick up, free and immobilize the injured person require a close co-operation with the rescuing staff (stretcher bearers, fire department, first-aid workers). The hypovolemic shock is treated by volume replacement, mainly with colloids. Local hemostasis may sometimes be necessary. Anti-shock trousers should be widely used in cases of multiple trauma. Dealing with the associated distresses gives priority to ventilation. The indications of ventilatory support must be very wide whenever coma or signs of respiratory distress are noted, more so with an associated shock. The indications of aspiration of a gaseous or fluid pleural effusion must also be discussed. Maximal suppression of pain must be kept in mind throughout all these operations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)