Book excerpt: A textbook that explicitly concentrates on arming surgeons with the knowledge to meet the challenges of the myriad complications that may be encountered in treating trauma patients. The first section addresses the five major complications (hemorrhage, respiratory failure, renal failure, sepsis, and multi-organ syndrome) that can occur in any trauma patient. The second section, Prehospital and Emergency Center Trauma Complications, discusses the problems inherent in the first stages of managing a trauma patient, as well as those that can occur within systems (transportation, communication). The third section addresses complications specific to certain areas or populations (e.g., immunology, pediatrics, radiology, wounding agents), and the final section discusses complications by anatomical region. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR