Despite of the much attention through decades, the cause and mechanism of multiple organ failure(MCF) is still a mystery. Variable etiologies are known from primary infection to trauma, and from burns to heart failure and hypoxia. But the
etiologies
may cause a remarkably similar pattern of often predictable and progressive organ system failure. Many patients who develop MOF do so as a consequence of a primary infection, but clinical infection is not and absolute requirement. However the
clinical
features of MOF after trauma is different to that of non-trauma.
A retrospective study of organ failure was conducted for 276 surgical patients admitted to intensive care units between July 1992 and December 1992. Age, sex, OFI(organ failure index, duration of admission, ISS(injury severity score) of trauma
patients,
outcome and the features of organ failure was collected for each patient. The definition of organ failure was adopted to identify pulmonary, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematologic-coagulation, and central nervous system
failure.
The patients were divided into two groups of 73 trauma(T) and 203 non-trauma(NT). One hundred patients developed organ failure(36.2% incidence) Each group developed organ failure as 56.2%(4173) of trauma and 29.1(59/203) of non-trauma. The mean
ISS
of
OF(organ failure) in trauma patients was higher(17.8) than non-OF(12.0).
The mortality of OF increased with the number of failed system in the total population as well as T and NT. The mortality of OF in trauma patients was much lower than non-trauma(T=4.9%, NT=22.0%). Among the failed systems the CNS and renal
failure
affect the mortality significantly. Age was related to the incidence of OF, but not to the mortality.
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