The primary goal in caring for the traumatized patient is to provide effective resuscitative interventions while minimizing the time from injury to definitive care. The emergency physician is often called on to provide the initial stabilization and resuscitation. This is done most effectively if one is well versed in trauma care and has an organized approach to the multiply injured patient. This article discusses several current controversies in the emergent care of the multiply injured patient. Most of the issues are currently under investigation, whereas others have been addressed only as opinion in the medical literature. A balanced view of these topics is presented so that the reader will be better informed on how to care for these patients.