[The problems of severe combined chest and heart trauma]

On the basis of the experience and the analysis of 3818 cases of combined chest traumas the injuries in different anatomical areas have been observed. A special place was given for the diagnostics, the variety of the clinical conditions, the treatment and the prognosis of the reasons for lethality in cases with such traumas. With the increase of the affected anatomical areas the lethality increases proportionally too. At double, triple, fourfold, fivefold and sixfold combinations we have respectively 6.35 to 100% lethality. The indications for early surgical treatment have been stated. The acute respiratory failure (decompensation) and the shock in the combined traumas have been discusses as well.