[Organization, diagnosis and the treatment procedure in chest, abdominal and combined trauma].

Thoracic and associated injuries pose problems demanding enormous interdisciplinary efforts regardless of the improved organizational, diagnostic and treatment potentialities. As shown by the experience of the Emergency Surgery Section at the Pirogov Institute, rendering medical services to patients presenting chest and associated injuries require coordinated integration of specialists from various profiles along with specification of the priorities and hierarchy of the emergency measures undertaken. Over a 12-year period (1985 through 1996), a total of 6983 patients with chest, abdominal and multiple trauma are admitted. They are distributed as follows: chest trauma casualties--3286, abdominal trauma--679, and multiply injured--3018. Chest injuries are divided in close and open injuries--2843 and 444, respectively; the latter include 29 gunshot and 415 penetrating-incise wounds. The abdominal trauma group includes 679 cases, distributed as follows: spleen rupture--341, disruption of liver and mesenterium--151, and lesion to a hollow abdominal organ--187.