Trauma Surgery 2020. Development in the past, definition of future topics and programs. Part II: Research in Trauma Surgery 1998

The field surgery has been structured into four specialties of equal import ance that a re Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Visceral Surgery and las t but not least Trauma Surgery. Each specialty defines it's research tasks. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate the situation of research in trauma surgery and define future topics and programs. The aim of this survey was t o cover the present research situation in Germany. Out of the 200 questionn aires 112 were available for evaluation. The major deficiencies were stated to be a lack of personnel, budget and coordination of topics and resources . Of general interest was to initiate activities of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU) in view of coordination of research activities, settin g up of new funds and integration of teaching hospitals into university res earch programs. The data, shown in this article, may serve to start a discu ssion aiming on the improvement of the financial and scientific environment .