ABSTRACT
The management of every severely injured patient requires a coordinated approach, such as that taught in Advanced Trauma Life Support and the equivalent Early Management of Severe Trauma courses. Early orthopaedic team involvement is common for pelvic trauma particularly if associated with haemorrhage, as well as for thoracic and lumbosacral spine injury, and major limb injury. The management of limb injuries in the multi-trauma patient does not take precedence over head, thoracic, abdominal or pelvic injuries, even though they may appear more dramatic and attract instant attention. The aims are to resuscitate critically ill patients; differentiate those requiring referral to the surgical, gynaecological, urological, vascular or medical team; and to determine who can be allowed home. Disorders causing acute abdominal pain may be categorized as intestinal, biliary, vascular, pancreatic, urinary, peritoneal and retroperitoneal, gynaecological and medical.
