[Chest trauma from a surgical perspective]

Patients with multiple injuries in particular frequently also suffer from chest trauma. During the initial phase the identification and treatment of life-threatening injuries is essential and tension pneumothorax is of particular importance during this phase. The Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) algorithm should be followed for structured treatment. In most cases treatment by insertion of a chest tube is sufficient but for some injuries an emergency thoracotomy is unavoidable as a life-saving intervention. In the further treatment especially a flail chest and retained hemothorax are responsible for complications, such as acute lung failure and thoracic empyema. Early operative interventions in the sense of rib fracture stabilization and thoracoscopy-assisted evacuation of hematomas can help to prevent such complications.