[Disorders of consciousness in trauma patients]

238 patients with multiple trauma hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit of the Zagreb General Hospital during 1993 and 1994 were analyzed. They were grouped with respect to the type of their injury. The first group was composed of patients with isolated head injury. The second group was made up of patients with multiple trauma and head injury. Patients with multiple trauma but without head injury were inserted into group three. 138 patients were comatose (GCS < 8) and had to be reanimated. 143 patients underwent an urgent surgical procedure. Assisted ventilation over 24 hours needed 180 patients (average of 11,4 days). The most common complications were respiratory: pneumonia developed 60 and ARDS five patients. The rate of mortality was 35,9% (65 patients died.