EPIDURAL ANALGESIA IN MULTIPY INJURED PATIENTS WITH SEVERE CHEST TRAUMA: TWO CASE REPORTS AND LITERATURE REVIEW.

Multiply injured patients with severe chest trauma have different combinations of associated extra thoracic injuries making their treatment complex. Severe pain is a prominent symptom in a vast majority of severe chest injuries and causes deterioration of respiratory function. Epidural analgesia provides efficient pain relief but its use in this group of patients is burdened with complications, contraindications and technical difficulties. We present two cases in which epidural analgesia was successfully used in polytrauma patients with severe chest injuries and hypoxemic respiratory failure, and discuss advantages, possible pitfalls and complications.