Complications of Chest Trauma (Analysis of 373 cases)

흉부손상 373 에에 대한 임상적 관찰

Clinical observations were performed on 373 cases of chest trauma, those were admitted and treated at the Department of surrgery, Korea University Hospital, during the past 15 years period from August 1965 to June 1980. 1. The ratio of male to female patient of chest trauma was 4:1 in male predominence and age from 10 to 50 occupied 87.4 % of the total cases. 2. The most common cause of chest trauma was traffic accident in this series. One hundred and eight one cases (48.5%) were injuried by traffic accident and total cases due to blunt trauma (non-penetrating injury) were 282 cases (75.6%) including the cases with traffic accident, and remaining 91 cases (24.4%) were due to penetrating injury including 73 cases (19.6%) of stab wounds. 3. hemopneumothorax were observed in 49% (182 cases) of the total cases, and etiologic distribution revealed 72% due to non-penetrating trauma and 28% due to penetrating injury. 4. Rib fracture was found in 44.8% of cases. common injuries associated with rib fracture were lung, brain and liver. 5. Most common symptom was chest pain and respiratory difficulty, and common sign associated with chest injury was decreased respiratory sound and subcutaneous sound. 6. conservative non-operative treatment was performed in 281 cases (75.4%) and 92 cases (24.6%) were treated with operative treatment including 33 cases (8.9%) with open thoracotomy. 7. Overall mortality was 5.6% (21 cases) and most common cause of death were due to brain edema, cardiogenic shock, asphyxia.