Common oversights in the evaluation of the patient with multiple injuries.

The causes of commonly occurring diagnostic oversights in the multiple injured patient are reviewed. A systematic approach to the multiple injured or unconscious patient is offered which includes a standard series of radiographs, "a trauma survey", and knowledge of commonly associated injuries. The identification of certain skeletal injuries should automatically suggest the possibility of other associated skeletal, visceral, or vascular injuries. Oversights could be significantly reduced by obtaining a standard series of radiographs, specifically looking for evidence of commonly missed injuries and always considering the possibility of frequently associated injuries.