Plasma DNA, prediction and post-traumatic complications

Background: Trauma is a global public health problem that claimed 5.1 milli on lives in 1990. Twenty percent of these deaths occurred days to weeks aft er injury and were due to sepsis or organ failure. Therapies to improve sur vival outcome after injury are limited by our inability to accurately strat ify trauma patients at risk for these complications. In this review, the ch allenge of predicting post-traumatic complications is presented. There is p otential for plasma DNA in diagnosis, prediction and monitoring non-traumat ic disease. Conclusions: The mechanisms and clearance of plasma DNA have a potential role as a predictor in trauma. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.