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Trauma to the Chest: The Role of the Trauma Surgeon

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Trauma Centers and Acute Care Surgery

Part of the book series: Updates in Surgery ((UPDATESSURG))

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Abstract

Trauma surgeons performing thoracic damage control surgery (TDCS) have two enemies: exsanguination and pleural space-occupying injuries with lung-compressing conditions. As a conxequence, the two primary aims of TDCS are to arrest hemorrhage thus preserving normal blood flow and to maintain gas exchange by relieving intrathoracic compression. The thoracic damage control approach follows two strategies. The first is to use procedures that are simpler and quicker and that restore a survivable physiology at the index operation. The most common procedure in this category is chest decompression and tube insertion. The second approach is an abbreviated thoracotomy such that survivable physiology is restored, but the definitive procedure is performed at the second operation after a period of recovery. Specific injuries of intrathoracic organs are managed according to the patient’s physiology and trauma surgeons should possess the technical skills for the emergency treatment of all injuries with immediate risk to survival caused by organs and structures in the chest. In fact, the trauma surgeon is often the only one present in the emergency department at all hours of the day and night.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Surgery and Trauma Team, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy

    Osvaldo Chiara & Stefania Cimbanassi

  2. Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Osvaldo Chiara

Authors
  1. Osvaldo Chiara
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  2. Stefania Cimbanassi
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Correspondence to Osvaldo Chiara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. General Surgery and Trauma Team, Niguarda Hospital, Milan, Italy

    Osvaldo Chiara

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Chiara, O., Cimbanassi, S. (2022). Trauma to the Chest: The Role of the Trauma Surgeon. In: Chiara, O. (eds) Trauma Centers and Acute Care Surgery. Updates in Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73155-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73155-7_9

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-73154-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-73155-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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