[Surgical management of stab wound of the chest]

During the past three and half years, we experienced eighteen patients with stab wound of the chest. Ten patients were homicidal victims and the remainders were suicides. According to our indications (Table 4), thoracotomy was done in eight patients (44%). The major reason for thoracotomy in this series was massive bleeding. Five pulmonary, four diaphragmatic, four intercostal-artery's and two pericardial injuries were repaired. In our series, six patients (33%) were accompanied with abdominal stab wound and laparotomy was done in five patients. Four liver's one stomach's, one spleen's, one intestine's and one omentum's injuries were repaired. There were three DOA's (dead on arrival). The causes of DOA's were massive bleedings from the heart in two patients and from the liver in one patients. Except for the DOA's, four patients (27%) were not operated on. In conclusion, three DOA's, could not be resuscitated, but all remainders (the thoracotomy's, the laparotomy's and the non-surgical patients) survived and had no complications.