Trauma radiology in the UK: an overview

NHS Choices defines 'major trauma' as multiple, serious injuries that could result in disability or death. Worldwide, trauma is the leading cause of death and disability in people under 40 years of age. The National Audit Office estimates that there are at least 20 000 major trauma cases in England every year, resulting in 5400 deaths and leaving many others with serious permanent disability. Because the incidence of trauma is particularly high in younger patients, an average of 36 life years is lost for every trauma death (Chaira and Cimbanassi, 2003). The landscape in major trauma imaging has evolved over the last 30 years, and this review chronicles these changes and the reasons for them, and looks at how the current guidelines have been formulated.