Skip to main content

Thoracic Trauma

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Evidence-Based Critical Care

Abstract

Thoracic trauma management has changed over the past several years with the introduction of new catheters, pain management techniques, protective lung ventilation, and rib fixation devices. With these new approaches to management, this chapter serves to introduce key clinical scenarios and subsequent treatment options and evidence contour. Clinical scenarios focus on pneumothoraces, hemothoraces, rib fractures, and lung contusions with keys to diagnosis, initial steps of management, common complications, and areas of controversial management including avoiding chest tube insertion, timing of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, rib fixation, and fluid management and ventilator management for lung contusions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Huang Y, Huang H, Li Q, Browning RF, Parrish S, Turner Jr JF, Zarogoulidis K, Kougioumtzi I, Dryllis G, Kioumis I, Pitsiou G, Machairiotis N, Katsikogiannis N, Courcoutsakis N, Madesis A, Diplaris K, Karaiskos T, Zarogoulidis P. Approach of the treatment for pneumothorax. J Thorac Dis. 2014;6 Suppl 4:S416.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Ince A, Ozucelik DN, Avci A, Nizam O, Dogan H, Topal MA. Management of pneumothorax in emergency medicine departments: multicenter trial. Iranian Red Crescent Med J. 2013;15(12).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Roberts DJ, Leigh-Smith S, Faris PD, Blackmore C, James MT, Kirkpatrick AW, Stelfox HT. Clinical presentation of patients with tension pneumothorax: a systematic review. Ann Surg. 2015;261(6):1068–78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Mahmood I, Tawfeek Z, El-Menyar A, Zarour A, Afifi I, Kumar S, Al-Thani H. Outcome of concurrent occult hemothorax and pneumothorax in trauma patients who required assisted ventilation. Emer Med Int. 2015(2015):6.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Mowery NT, Gunter OL, Collier BR, Jose’J Jr D, Haut E, Hildreth A, Streib E. Practice management guidelines for management of hemothorax and occult pneumothorax. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2011;70(2):510–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Oikonomou A, Prassopoulos P. CT imaging of blunt chest trauma. Insights Imaging. 2011;2(3):281–95.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Cho SH, Sung YM, Kim MS. Missed rib fractures on evaluation of initial chest CT for trauma patients: pattern analysis and diagnostic value of coronal multiplanar reconstruction images with multidetector row CT. Br J Radiol. 2012;85(1018):e845–50.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Fowler TT, Taylor BC, Bellino MJ, Althausen PL. Surgical treatment of flail chest and rib fractures. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2014;22(12):751–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Cohn SM. Pulmonary contusion: review of the clinical entity. J Trauma. 1997;42(5):973–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Raghavendran K, Notter RH, Davidson BA, Helinski JD, Kunkel SL, Knight PR. Lung contusion: inflammatory mechanisms and interaction with other injuries. Shock. 2009;32(2):122–30.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Miller PR, Croce MA, Bee TK, Qaisi WG, Smith CP, Collins GL, Fabian TC. ARDS after pulmonary contusion: accurate measurement of contusion volume identifies high-risk patients. J Trauma. 2001;51(2):223–8; discussion 229–30.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. DePalma RG, Burris DG, Champion HR, Hodgson MJ. Blast injuries. N Engl J Med. 2005;352(13):1335–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Treggiari MM, Hudson LD, Martin DP, Weiss NS, Caldwell E, Rubenfeld G. Effect of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome on outcome in critically ill trauma patients. Crit Care Med. 2004;32(2):327–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Oppenheimer L, Craven KD, Forkert L, Wood LD. Pathophysiology of pulmonary contusion in dogs. J Appl Physiol. 1979;47(4):718–28.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Kulvatunyou N, Erickson L, Vijayasekaran A, Gries L, Joseph B, Friese RF, Rhee P. Randomized clinical trial of pigtail catheter versus chest tube in injured patients with uncomplicated traumatic pneumothorax. Br J Surg. 2014;101(2):17–22.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Morales CH, Mejía C, Roldan LA, Saldarriaga MF, Duque AF. Negative pleural suction in thoracic trauma patients: a randomized controlled trial. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2014;77(2):251–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kong VY, Oosthuizen GV, Clarke DL. What is the yield of routine chest radiography following tube thoracostomy for trauma? Injury. 2015;46(1):45–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Goodman MD, Huber NL, Johannigman JA, Pritts TA. Omission of routine chest x-ray after chest tube removal is safe in selected trauma patients. Am J Surg. 2010;199(2):199–203.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Palesty JA, McKelvey AA, Dudrick SJ. The efficacy of X-rays after chest tube removal. Am J Surg. 2000;179(1):13–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Wu N, Wu L, Qiu C, Yu Z, Xiang Y, Wang M, Li Y. A comparison of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with open thoracotomy for the management of chest trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World J Surg. 2014;39(4):950–52.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lin HL, Huang WY, Yang C, Chou SM, Chiang HI, Kuo LC, Chou YP. How early should VATS be performed for retained haemothorax in blunt chest trauma? Injury. 2014;45(9):1359–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Hashemzadeh S, Hashemzadeh K, Hosseinzadeh H, Maleki RA, Golzari S. Comparison thoracic epidural and intercostal block to improve ventilation parameters and reduce pain in patients with multiple rib fractures. J Cardiovasc Thorac Res. 2011;3(3):87.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Nirula R, Diaz Jr JJ, Trunkey DD, Mayberry JC. Rib fracture repair: indications, technical issues, and future directions. World J Surg. 2009;33(1):14–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Slobogean GP, MacPherson CA, Sun T, Pelletier ME, Hameed SM. Surgical fixation vs nonoperative management of flail chest: a meta-analysis. J Am Coll Surg. 2013;216(2):302–11.e1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Leinicke JA, Elmore L, Freeman BD, Colditz GA. Operative management of rib fractures in the setting of flail chest: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Surg. 2013;258(6):914–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Turut H, Ciralik H, Kilinc M, Ozbag D, Imrek SS. Effects of early administration of dexamethasone, N-acetylcysteine and aprotinin on inflammatory and oxidant-antioxidant status after lung contusion in rats. Injury. 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Strohmaier W, Trupka A, Pfeiler C, Thurnher M, Khakpour Z, Gippner-Steppert C, Jochum M, Redl H. Bilateral lavage with diluted surfactant improves lung function after unilateral lung contusion in pigs. Crit Care Med. 2005;33(10):2286–93.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Raghavendran K, Davidson BA, Knight PR, Wang Z, Helinski J, Chess PR, Notter RH. Surfactant dysfunction in lung contusion with and without superimposed gastric aspiration in a rat model. Shock. 2008;30(5):508–17.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Krishnan Raghavendran .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Video shows presence of lung sliding in a US that is consistent with normal lung. (AVI 837 kb)

Video shows absence of lung sliding highly indicative of a pneumothorax. (AVI 4161 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Klein, K.M., Raghavendran, K. (2017). Thoracic Trauma. In: Hyzy, R. (eds) Evidence-Based Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43341-7_77

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43341-7_77

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-43339-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-43341-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics