Clinical Evaluation of Chest Trauma - Analysis for 97 cases -

흉부외상의 임상적 고찰

A clinical analysis was performed on 97 cases of chest injuries experienced at Department of Thoracic and cardiovascular Surgery, Armed Forces Capital Hospital during 2 years period from 1986 to 1988. Of 97 patients of chest trauma, 39 cases were result from penetrating injuries whereas 58 cases were from non-penetrating injuries, and there were 77 cases of hemothorax and / or pneumothorax, 47 of rib fracture, 8 of foreign body, 6 scapular and clavicle fracture, 5 of diaphragmatic injuries, 4 of paraplegia. The majority of chest injuries were encounted in the age group between 21 and 30 years-old, mean age was 25.9 years-old and all cases were male except one. Gun-shot wound was the most common cause in the penetrating injuries and the majority of non-penetrating chest injury patients were traffic accident and fist or kick accounted for next. The principles of therapy for chest trauma were rapid expansion of the lung by closed thoracostomy[45 cases] and thoracentesis only[3 cases] but thoracotomy done at 27 cases because of massive bleeding or intrapleural hematoma, foreign body, cardiac injury, diaphragmatic injury and bronchial rupture. The over-all mortality was 2.07 percent[2 cases among all], a case was from penetrating injuries and another was from non-penetrating injuries.