POLYTRAUMA CARE - THE EFFECT OF HEAD-INJURIES AND TIMING OF SKELETAL FIXATION

There is a substantial body of literature supporting early (<48 hours) fixation of long bone fractures in the patient with polytrauma. Early fixation reduces the complications of traction and recumbency, reduce s pain, decreases the stimulus for a systemic inflammatory response, m akes nursing care easier, makes the fracture outcome more predictable, and decreases health care costs. If hypotension and hypoxia are avoid ed, early fixation of long bone fractures does not increase the incide nce of adverse cerebral events. The benefits (short and long term), if any, of early fixation of long bone fractures on the recovery from cl osed head injury remain poorly defined.