ABSTRACT
Trauma is the leading cause of death particularly in younger people (<45 years old). In the United Kingdom approximately 14 500 deaths per year are attributed to contemporary trauma causes.1 Polytrauma is a generic term describing the condition of a person who has been subjected to traumatic injuries to more than one body region (head, neck and cervical spine; face, chest and thoracic spine; abdomen and lumbar spine; limbs and bony pelvis; and external (skin).2 Polytrauma represents 15-20% of the overall trauma population.3 It constitutes a huge burden on society due to the associated long-term disability and loss of earnings.4 It is defined as an injury severity score (ISS) $16.5 The ISS is an anatomical scoring system (virtually the only anatomical scoring system in use) that provides an overall score for patients with multiple injuries.6 It correlates with mortality, morbidity and hospital stay after trauma. Its base is the abbreviated injury scale (AIS).6
