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Hemothorax, Pneumothorax, and Chest Empyema

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Acute Care Surgery Handbook

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Abstract

Acute care surgery applies in a variety of thoracic emergencies, mainly triggered by traumatic injuries, malignancy, and infection. Thoracic trauma in particular is a primary or contributing cause of mortality for as high as 70 % of all trauma-related deaths [1]. The vast majority of acute thoracic clinical entities can be treated conservatively or by simple bedside procedures, such as placement of an intercostal drain. The minority of the cases requires definitive surgical treatment. Pneumothorax and hemothorax are common acute clinical entities, and early diagnosis and intervention are of paramount importance mainly based on the principles of Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) [2], irrespective of traumatic or nontraumatic cause. A number of these cases will inadvertently evolve into empyema, a clinical entity of considerable morbidity and mortality.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 4th Surgical Clinic, “Attikon” University Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Pantelis Vassiliu MD, PhD, FACS

  2. Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Milpark Trauma Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Elias Degiannis MD, PhD, FRCS (Glasg), FACS

Authors
  1. Pantelis Vassiliu MD, PhD, FACS
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  2. Elias Degiannis MD, PhD, FRCS (Glasg), FACS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pantelis Vassiliu MD, PhD, FACS .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Emergency and Trauma Surgery Service, C.A. Pizzardi Maggiore Hospital AUSL Bologna, Bologna, Italy

    Salomone Di Saverio

  2. Emergency and Trauma Surgery, Maggiore Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy

    Fausto Catena

  3. General, Emergency and Trauma Surgery Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy

    Luca Ansaloni

  4. General, Emergency and Trauma Surgery Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy

    Federico Coccolini

  5. Trauma, Emergency Medicine Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    George Velmahos

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Vassiliu, P., Degiannis, E. (2017). Hemothorax, Pneumothorax, and Chest Empyema. In: Di Saverio, S., Catena, F., Ansaloni, L., Coccolini, F., Velmahos, G. (eds) Acute Care Surgery Handbook. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15341-4_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15341-4_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-15340-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-15341-4

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