[Emergency thoracoscopy in the diagnosis and treatment of complicated chest injury ]

Emergency thoracoscopy was undertaken in 111 patients with complicated closed chest trauma and in 67 persons with penetrating knife wounds of the chest. Thoracoscopy in patients with closed chest trauma revealed pneumohemothorax in 53, pneumothorax in 42, and hemothorax in 10 cases, in 4 patients the hemothorax was coagulated. Penetrating injuries were complicated by pneumohemothorax in 30, by pneumothorax in 21, and by hemothorax in 16 cases. From the results of thoracoscopy, emergency thoracotomy was found to be indicated in 11 patients with penetrating chest wounds. Endoscopic electrocoagulation of the wounds of the lung and thoracic wall was conducted in 28 patients with a closed trauma and in 26 persons with penetrating injuries, laser coagulation was performed in 10 cases with closed trauma and in 8 patient with knife wounds, medical glue was applied for occlusion of surface ruptures of the lung in 11 cases. No complications of thoracoscopy occurred. The therapeutic methods of thoracoscopy with the use of high frequency electric current, NIAH-laser radiation are described. It is concluded that the inclusion of thoracoscopy in the complex of therapeutic and diagnostic measures in patients with complicated chest trauma is expedient.