[Organ injuries--introduction].

Organ injuries are a frequent occurrence: The Surgical Department of Wuerzburg University treated 270 patients between 1983 and 1987. More than one-fifth of these patients had undergone primary surgery at other hospitals and came to us for reoperation or intensive care. The successful treatment of such severe and often multiple, simultaneous injuries depends on well-trained surgeons whose undelayed consultation with specialists is not impeded by bureaucratic hospital organization.