[Thoracic trauma. Experience of three decades]

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Thoracic trauma (TT) is a significant cause of mortality in young individuals, accounting for 25-35% of trauma-related deaths.
• Understanding trends in TT is crucial for improving patient outcomes and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze and compare the characteristics, severity, and morbidity of patients admitted for thoracic trauma over the past three decades.
• To identify demographic and etiological shifts in thoracic trauma cases.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of a thoracic trauma database, operative notes, and medical records.
• Patients were categorized into three decades: 1981-1990, 1991-2000, and 2001-2010.
• Injury Severity Score (ISS), Revised Trauma Score (RTS-T), and Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) were calculated and compared across decades.

Main Results:

• A total of 3,068 thoracic trauma cases were reviewed, with a significant increase in admissions over the decades (19.7% to 45.4%).
• The proportion of patients aged 65 and older, and female patients, significantly increased over time.
• While knife wounds remained prevalent, firearm injuries showed a slight increase; morbidity rates decreased in the most recent decade.

Conclusions:

• Hospital admissions for thoracic trauma have risen over the last three decades.
• There is a notable increase in the proportion of older patients, females, and those with firearm-related injuries admitted for thoracic trauma.
• Despite demographic shifts, mortality and overall trauma severity scores (TRISS) remained relatively consistent.