title: Plasma DNA, prediction and post-traumatic complications.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trauma is a global public health problem that claimed 5.1 million lives in 1990. Twenty percent of these deaths occurred days to weeks after injury and were due to sepsis or organ failure. Therapies to improve survival outcome after injury are limited by our inability to accurately stratify trauma patients at risk for these complications. In this review, the challenge of predicting post-traumatic complications is presented. There is potential for plasma DNA in diagnosis, prediction and monitoring non-traumatic disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mechanisms and clearance of plasma DNA have a potential role as a predictor in trauma.
authors.affiliation: Accident and Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Cancer Centre, Rooms G05/06, Shatin, New Territories, SAR, Hong Kong, China. rainer1091@cuhk.edu.hk
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Rainer
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D004247:DNA