Exsanguination has been defined as an extreme form of hemorrhage with ongoing bleeding that, if not surgically controlled, will lead to death. Exsanguination is second only to neurologic injury among causes of fatality after trauma. Therefore, the speed by which…
Penetrating cardiac injuries Historical perspective Cardiac injuries have been described since ancient times. The earliest descriptions of a cardiac injury are found in the Iliad and in the Edwin Smith Papyrus , written in approximately 3000 bc . Hippocrates stated…
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…
Emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) remains a formidable tool within the trauma surgeon’s armamentarium. Since its introduction during the 1960s, the use of this procedure has ranged from sparing to liberal. At many urban trauma centers, this procedure has found a…
On a busy Baghdad bridge spanning the great Tigris River coursing through Iraq from north to south, a crowd of people intermingled in their bidirectional flow. Most were hurrying to and from the nearby market on the east side of…