Overwhelming infections in trauma.

Following trauma, wound contamination with aerobic and/or anaerobic bacteria should always be suspected. Treatment with antibacterial antibiotics should begin immediately in the emergency room, particularly for those patients with fractures. Patients with serious trauma are best treated by a team of specialists including general surgeons, orthopedists, infectious disease specialists, and intensive care specialists. The author recommends transport of seriously injured patients to major hospitals specializing in the care of trauma. Particularly when gas gangrene secondary to clostridial infection is suspected, the patient should be moved to a major trauma center with the capability for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.