[Chest injuries treated in the town hospital of Sabhā, Libya]

This is a report on 113 patients with chest injuries subjected to treatment over the period 1991 through 1993. Of them 72.5 per cent are with ages ranging from 11 to 30 years, and 94.7 per cent are men. The series includes cases presenting incised penetrating wounds (49.6 per cent), involvement in motor-vehicle road accidents (26.5 per cent) and gunshot wounds (15.9 per cent). Of the total number 23 per cent are polytraumatized. Most of the patients (56.7 per cent) have hemopneumothorax with pleural drainage being the only treatment applied. In 15.9 per cent thoracotomy, laparotomy or thoracotomy plus laparotomy are used. Complications are recorded in 7.1 per cent, with deaths amounting to 2.7 per cent.