Emergency Management of Thoracic Trauma

Yong Il Min

doi:10.5124/jkma.2007.50.8.702

J Korean Med Assoc > Volume 50(8); 2007 > Article

Min: Emergency Management of Thoracic Trauma

Focused Issue of This Month

Trauma Management in Primary Care

Journal of the Korean Medical Association

Journal of the Korean Medical Association 2007; 50(8): 702-710.

Published online: August 31, 2007

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2007.50.8.702

Emergency Management of Thoracic Trauma

Yong Il Min, MD

Department of Emergency Medicine, Chonnam National University College of Medicine, Korea. minyi46@naver.com

Abstract

The chest is frequently injured by both penetrating and blunt trauma. The vast majority of thoracic trauma patients do not require thoracotomy and are successfully managed by tube thoracostomy and supportive measures. A critical diagnostic challenge in patients with thoracic trauma is the possibility of a life-threatening injury. Specific life-threatening thoracic injuries should be suspected, diagnosed, and treated during the initial primary survey. These are airway obstruction, tension pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, massive hemothorax, open pneumothorax, and frail chest.

Thoracic; Trauma; Emergencies

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