Thoracic trauma: analysis of 100 consecutive cases

To analyze thoracic trauma assisted by the Emergency Service of Hospital da Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo.

One hundred patients with thoracic trauma were assisted throughout six months in 2006. Data from their records were collected and a protocol of thoracic trauma was fulfilled. The Revised Trauma Score was used to evaluate gravity of injury and to calculate the survival index.

Prevalence of trauma injury in male from 20 to 29 years old was observed. Out of all patients, 44 had blunt trauma and 56 penetrating trauma (78.6% presented stab wounds and 21.4% gun shots). Up to the settings of injuries, 23% were in the thoracoabdominal transition, 7% in the precordium and 70% in the remainder thoracic area. In those with the thoracoabdominal transition injury, 22.7% were hemodynamically unstable and 77.3% stable. Thoracoabdominal injury patients presented 40.9% of diaphragm wound and all were stable. Of those with precordium wound, 37.5% presented cardiac injury. In cardiac onset, 66.7% presented stable and 33.3% unstable. Thoracic drainage was the most accomplished surgical procedure (71%).

The thoracic trauma patient is most prevalently young male with stab wound penetrating injury, without associated injuries, hemodynamically stable, presenting hemothorax, with high probability of survival.