[The management of blunt chest trauma]
1Service de chirurgie thoracique, hôpital d'Instruction des Armées A.-Laveran, Marseille cedex 13, France. avarojp@orange.fr
Introduction:
Blunt chest trauma is a frequent injury and it can be difficult to evaluate its seriousness. The risk of acute decompensation because of an occult thoracic lesion is a significant and justified cause for concern.
State Of Art:
As is common in the case of trauma to the torso, few studies are available to guide the development of structured recommendations about the diagnosis and management of such injuries.
Perspectives:
The authors review the anatomical and physiological knowledge relevant to this kind of injury. They propose a standardized management for the diagnosis and emergency management of blunt chest trauma.
Conclusions:
The management of blunt chest trauma should include a very systematic first evaluation to avoid diagnostic pitfalls and decrease the risk of subsequent respiratory failure.
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