[Early mortality following multiple trauma: a retrospective study].

Early mortality after polytrauma: a retrospective study. The medical charts of all patients, who died in 1986 in the reanimation phase after an accident, were reviewed. Twenty-five patients (86%) were victim of a traffic accident, 2 of an accident at work and 2 of an accident at home. The average ISS of the 29 patients was 40.7. The patients, who received the first aid at the place of accident from an emergency doctor, had an average ISS of 44.2. The patients, who received the first aid from a team without doctor had an average ISS of 33.8. The first aid was given after an average time of 10 minutes. Ten patients were transported during the reanimation phase from the first hospital to our trauma center. Eighteen patients died due to a severe craniocerebral trauma, eight of them were transported secondarily. Six patients died due to hemorrhagic shock, only in two patients an emergency doctor was at the place of accident. Five patients died due to asphyxia after a thoracic trauma. This retrospective study clearly demonstrates that the first aid of a polytraumatized patient must be given at the place of accident by an emergency doctor, that a quick and direct transport to a regional trauma center is desirable, that a more aggressive shock therapy is necessary and that the first aid-team must be able to evacuate a tension-pneumothorax at the preclinical scene.