ETIOLOGY, FREQUENCY AND CONSEQUENCES OF POLYTRAUMA. LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Polytrauma is one of the most alarming elements of road injuries because it usually accompanies severe
injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). The consequences of injury cause life loss and
disability for victims as well as represent a burden to healthcare systems and economies through loss of productivity and
high healthcare costs (James et al. 2019; Abbafati et al. 2020b). A recently published Global Burden of Diseases (GBD)
study showed that road injuries ranked first in the top 10 causes among people aged 10 to 49 years. The evaluation,
management, and prognosis of a polytrauma are substantially different and challenging due to its complicated mechanisms,
which are road traffic collision, drops from heights, and homicides. According to he WHO Global Status Report on Road
Safety states that road accidents caused more than 1.3 million deaths and severe injuries globally every year
disproportionally affecting mostly middle-income counties.
Aim of this study was to explore etiology, frequency and consequences of polytrauma.
Methods: Manuscripts dealing with polytrauma were reviewed. Also we reviewed English- and Russian-language
articles in PubMed and eLibrary.ru. The following search modules were selected in PubMed Medline and eLibrary.ru:
Polytrauma, Definition of the term “polytrauma”, Golden Hour, Infectious and noninfectious complications in polytraumatized
patients. We studied data on from the period of 2000 to 2020. Case reports and case series were excluded. Studies of
isolated trauma patients and childhood trauma were excluded.
Results: Presents a review of etiology, frequency of occurrence of polytrauma, their temporary and permanent
consequences in patients. The article also gives definition of the term "polytrauma" and explains the importance of the rule of
“Golden Hour”. The frequency of infectious and noninfectious complications in polytraumatized patients was analyzed on the
basis of the literature data.
Conclusion: In literary sources, it can be noted that the intensive development of the technical and construction
industries provokes an increase in the number of polytraumas not only in our country, but throughout the world. Although
patients with polytrauma remain alive, many of the consequences persist and lead to temporary or permanent disability.
According to the rule of “golden hour”, the sooner a patient receives definitive care, the higher is the likelihood that medical
and surgical treatment will prevent their death. Therefore, when clinical teams and facilities are organized to meet best
practice clinical guidelines and standard services within the trauma system, each patient’s mortality and morbidity could be
significantly reduced.