[Instruments for measuring the quality of life of severely injured patients].

Trauma can be defined as either a somatic injury or a psychological reaction in the person affected. The emotional disturbances and psychosocial problems of trauma patients in particular, though still measurable a year or even longer after the event, have rarely been taken into account in surgical studies. Quality of life is a relevant endpoint in multiple trauma patients, insofar as rehabilitation seems to be complicated by non-efficient psychological coping. With reference to the prerequisites for a scientifically sound measuring method four instruments are described that seem to be suitable for measuring quality of life in multiple trauma patients. In addition, practical advice is given for the design of longitudinal studies focused on quality of life in trauma patients.