Trauma de tórax. Experiencia de 5 años

Abstract

Background: Chest injuries accounts for a quarter of traumatic injuries and cause 50 % of trauma-related deaths. Objective: To assess the experience in chest trauma at our hospital. Patients and methods: Retrospective study which included all chest trauma patients admitted in a five year period. Results: A total of 67 patients, 88.1% male and 11.9% female , with mean age of 46.5 ± 30 years. Thoracic trauma was blunt at 59.7% and penetrating at 40.3%. The mechanism of trauma were stab wound 35.8%, blunt trauma by motor vehicle accident 34.3 and gunshots 4.5%. Chest injuries were pneu-mothorax 53.7%, hemoneueumothorax 28.4%, hemothorax 9%, lung contusion 3% and flail chest 1.5%. Treatment consisted in 80.6% a pleural tube, thoracotomy 6% and 13.4% expectant management. The average time of pleural drainage was 4.5 days. Mortality was 7.5%. Conclusions: The main causes of chest trauma were stab wounds and blunt trauma by motor vehicle accidents. Most patients were treated by means of chest tube drainage.