PRIORITIES IN THE MULTIPLE TRAUMA PATIENT

The primary goal in caring for the traumatized patient is to provide e ffective resuscitative interventions while minimizing the time from in jury to definitive care. The emergency physician is often called on to provide initial stabilization and resuscitation, which is done most e ffectively if one is well versed in trauma care and has an organized a pproach to the multiply injured patient. This article discusses severa l current controversies in the emergency care of trauma patients.