Objective To discuss the clinical effect of early chest CT examination in patients with traumatic brain injury combined with chest injury. Methods A total of 163 patients with traumatic brain injury combined with chest injury treated in two hospitals between 2000 and 2008 were involved in the study and divided into two groups according to different early examination methods, ie, Group A (ear-ly head CT and chest X-ray from January 2000 to October 2006) and Group B (early head and chest CT from October 2006 to December 2008) for a comparative study. Results The patients were at age of (49±20) years in Group A and at (48±18) years in Group B. Lung infection occurred in 25 patients (30%) in Group A and 10 (13%) in Group B. ARDS occurrod in nine patients (11%) in Group A and one (1%) in Group B. Neurogenic pulmonary edema occurred in eight patients (10%) in Group A and one (1%) in Group B. The coma lasted for average 41 days in Group A and 15 days in Group B. Con-dusion Early chest CT examination has great help for clear diagnosis of traumatic brain injury combined with chest injury and hence can reduce lung infection, ARDS and neurogenic pulmonary edema, shorten coma time and improve curative effect.