[The polytrauma, a task for different fields (author's transl)].

Different fields and specialities have been developed within surgery. This has yielded basic knowledge and good therapeutic results. Today even in patients with multiple injuries a satisfactory rehabilitation can be achieved. The treating surgeon has to coordinate the different fields. As coordinator the traumatologist is the most suitable person, as he is trained in various fields of surgery. One-sided thinking would jeopardize the presently available as well as the obtainable results in the treatment of polytraumatized patients. The best results can be achieved only through a synthesis of the various fields.