Evolution of and controversy on definition of multiple trauma / 中华创伤杂志

ABSTRACT

Multiple trauma is complex and difficult to treat. The trauma at each site may obscure or delay the manifestation of each other. The severity of injury also exceeds the simple superposition of each injured site. There are numerous definitions of multiple trauma worldwide, with most regarding multiple trauma as major trauma. The definition of multiple trauma in China has evolved several times; however, it is currently still controversial, especially on whether the definition should be based on the nine body regions of the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) or the six body regions of the Injury Severity Score (ISS). The absence of uniform anatomic region criteria in the definition of multiple trauma can lead to discrepancies in multiple trauma patients, causing the clinical application of the definition to be problematic. In this study, the authors elaborate the development and application status of the defination of multiple trauma at home and abroad, discuss the existed problems or controversies and put forward feasible suggestions on the definition of multiple trauma to further normalize the diagnosis and treatment of multiple trauma.