Causes of death of patients with multiple injuries in Debrecen, Hungary.
OBJECTIVE: To find out the main causes of death of people who had multiple severe injuries. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Teaching hospital, Hungary. SUBJECTS: 86 people with severe multiple injuries, of whom 59 died and had necropsies. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Establishment of a database. RESULTS: Consumption of alcohol was a common precursor. Head and chest injuries predominated. More pedestrians than people in vehicles were killed, and there were 8 suicides and 3 murders. There were no gunshot injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Reduction of deaths from multiple injuries is as much a socioeconomic as a medical matter.