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[Thoracic drainage at the accident site].
N Demartines1, A Kiener, D Scheidegger
1Département de chirurgie, Hôpital cantonal universitaire, Bâle.
Helvetica Chirurgica Acta
|October 1, 1990
Summary
Helicopter medical teams can safely perform in-field chest tube insertion for trauma patients. This procedure reduces complications and improves outcomes for critically injured individuals.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Trauma Surgery
- Pre-hospital Care
Context:
- Review of helicopter medical team operations at Basel University Hospital from 1987-1988.
- Analysis of 710 patient treatments, with a focus on 484 trauma cases.
- Assessment of early intensive medical care initiated at accident scenes.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of in-field chest tube insertion in trauma patients.
- To determine the incidence of thoracic injuries and the need for chest tube intervention.
- To compare patient outcomes with and without in-field procedures.
Summary:
- Helicopter teams treated 710 patients, 68.2% trauma. 56% received on-scene intensive care.
- 90 patients had thoracic injuries; 58.9% required chest tubes, with 41.4% inserted in-field.
- In-field chest tube patients had higher endotracheal intubation rates (83.8%) but no iatrogenic complications.
Impact:
- In-field chest tube insertion, when properly executed, is a safe and effective intervention.
- This procedure is associated with reduced complications and improved clinical outcomes for trauma patients.
- Early intervention in trauma care, including on-scene procedures, can decrease patient mortality and morbidity.