Indications for intubation in blunt chest trauma

The value of endotracheal intubation and internal stabilization in severe chest injuries is well known. Recent reports have proposed that many such patients can be managed without intubation. To determine which patients need intubation we reviewed 140 patients with three or more rib fractures who presented to our hospitals from 1 January 1979 through 31 December 1983: 119 nonintubated patients (Group A); 13 patients intubated on admission (Group B); five patients intubated after hospital day 1 (Group C); and three patients intubated questionably on admission (Group D). The purpose of this report was to identify the factors which indicated severe pulmonary injury necessitating intubation. The need for intubation was correlated with five risk factors: 1) initial respiratory rate of over 25 min; 2) pulse greater than 100 min; 3) systolic blood pressure less than 100 mm Hg; 4) poor initial arterial blood gas; 5) the presence of other injuries. There was no correlation between severity of pulmonary injury and number of fractures, bilateral and/or segmental fractures, flail chest, contusion of lung, or age of patient. There was a greater percentage of complications and deaths in intubated patients (Groups B, C, and D). Group C patients all had poor initial blood gases and were erroneously not intubated early, even though 60% of them had three or more risk factors, as did Group B patients. Only 4% of patients who did not need intubation (Group A) had three or more risk factors. Group D patients were intubated without apparent indication. They had good initial blood gas levels and only one risk factor.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)