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Polytrauma in Children

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Children's Orthopaedics and Fractures

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Abstract

Trauma is still the most common cause of mortality in children, even in countries with the most advanced medical services. Severe head injury carries a high morbidity and mortality, whether isolated or in association with other trauma. However, a fatal outcome is usually the consequence of combinations of injuries. We define “real” polytrauma as two or more system injuries, involved at the same time endangering life as a result of one single or a combination of several injuries. Multiple trauma is always more than the sum of the single injuries; it should be considered as a systemic disease. Orthopaedic injuries account for a high proportion of the damage incurred by the polytraumatized child but are rarely life-threatening in their own right [1].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Surgery, Municipal Hospital, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Peter P. Schmittenbecher

  2. Emergency Department Lyell McEwin Health Services and Medstar Emergency Retrieval Services, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

    Cathrin S. Parsch

Authors
  1. Peter P. Schmittenbecher
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  2. Cathrin S. Parsch
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, University of Oxford, Windmill Road, Oxford, OX3 7LD, United Kingdom

    Michael Benson

  2. Sick Children, Great Ormond Street Hospital for, Greater Ormond Street, London, WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom

    John Fixsen

  3. Orthopaedic Hospital, Princess Margaret Rose, Frogston Road West 41-43, Edinburgh, EH10 7ED, United Kingdom

    Malcolm Macnicol

  4. Orthopädie, Olgahospital, Bismarckstr. 8, Stuttgart, 70176, Germany

    Klausdieter Parsch

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Schmittenbecher, P.P., Parsch, C.S. (2010). Polytrauma in Children. In: Benson, M., Fixsen, J., Macnicol, M., Parsch, K. (eds) Children's Orthopaedics and Fractures. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-611-3_40

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-611-3_40

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-84882-610-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-84882-611-3

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