[Guides to ergotism, a too little recognized complication of trauma]

The authors present two cases of ergotism in polytraumatised patients after prophylactic treatment with the combination preparation heparin-dihydroergotamine. Attention is drawn to the severity of the possible complications. It seems that it would be quite appropriate to adopt a critical attitude towards routine therapy with combination preparations containing ergotamine for the prevention of thromboembolism in polytraumatised patients.