Chest trauma is the primary cause of death in up to 25% of fatalities following traumatic injury and a major contributing factor in another 25%. As few as 5% to 15% of these patients require acute operative intervention. Based on…
Chest injuries were reported in the Edwin Smith Surgical Papyrus as early as 3000 bc . Ancient Greek chronicles reveal examples of penetrating chest wounds and pulmonary injuries; the Greeks had anatomic knowledge and were cognizant of the thoracic structures…
Injuries to the tracheobronchial tree are uncommon. However, they are often lethal and associated with a high degree of morbidity. Many patients do not survive until arrival at a hospital but die from asphyxiation or due to concomitant injuries. If…
Thoracic injury is a significant cause of morbidity and death. Rib fractures, one of the most common manifestations of thoracic injury, are frequently encountered in victims of trauma. For example, 94% of severely or fatally injured seatbelt wearers have rib…
Pulmonary contusion was probably first described by Morgagni in the 18th century, but Laurent’s description in The Lancet in 1883 appears to be the first to recognize the possibility that plasticity of the chest wall, most notably in the young,…
Injuries to the chest are present in more than half of all polytrauma patients and can be a significant cause of mortality in up to 25% of these patients. Direct injury to the chest and pulmonary complications after any major…
While many thoracic injuries are potentially lethal, most patients will survive. The earliest description of surviving blunt and penetrating chest trauma are Neanderthal skeletons showing evidence of a healed penetrating trauma and blunt rib fractures. The Edwin Smith Papyrus, written…
The thorax consists of the chest wall comprising the sternum, ribs, and thoracic vertebrae; the mediastinum containing the pericardium, heart, esophagus, trachea, great vessels, thoracic duct, and thymus; and the paired pleural cavities containing the lungs. This chapter will discuss…
Structural mobility and elasticity are characteristics of the upper airway that make injury to these structures infrequent. Skeletal protection is also provided anteriorly by the mandible and sternum and posteriorly by the bony spinal column ( Fig. 1 ). Upper…
Over the past decade, a wealth of studies has provided the scientific rationale to warrant the early screening and preemptive antithrombotic management of blunt cerebrovascular injuries (BCVIs). In the 1990s, BCVIs were thought to have unavoidable, devastating neurologic outcomes, but…