ABSTRACT
Each year,many people die or are seriously disabled as a result of trauma. In the UK, there are approximately 19000 trauma deaths per annum, and it is the leading cause of death among people aged 1-34 years. In the USA,trauma is the leading cause of death in people aged 1-38 years and accounts for over 150000 injury-related deaths annually. In comparison with the UK, the availability of firearms in the USA results in significantly more patients with penetrating injuries. I Mortality is only the tip of the trauma "iceberg;" it is estimated that, for each death, three people are rendered permanently disabled. In the USA, this results in 300000 permanent and 8.7 million disabled temporarily each year,' It is not surprising, therefore, that anesthesiologists encounter large numbers of trauma patients in all aspects of their work.
