Abstract
The incidence of chest trauma is rising rapidly and opinion continues to differ on its management. Our experience with 350 consecutive patients of chest injuries between January, 1983 and June, 1986 was reviewed. There were 300 males and 50 females. The average age was 29 years. Two-hundred and seventy-five (80%) were under forty years of age. The commonest presenting features were pain (100%), and dyspnoea (58.57%). Features of peripheral circulatory failure were found in 20 per cent. Ninety (25.71%) had other associated injuries. Three hundred (85.71%) were treated conservatively with 20 (6.66%) deaths. Forty-eight (13.7%) patients underwent surgical exploration (thoracotomy in 34 and laparotomy in 14 patients) with 8 deaths. Remaining 2 patients died in the casualty soon after arrival. The overall mortality was 8.57 per cent. The average period of hospitalisation was 9.5 days.
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Beg, M.H., Siddiqui, Z., Lakhtakia, H. et al. Profile of thoracic trauma–An analysis of 350 cases. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 4, 23–27 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664080
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02664080