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The Follow-Up of Patients with Thoracic Injuries

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Diagnostic Imaging in Polytrauma Patients

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Abstract

Blunt thoracic trauma commonly causes lung contusions, pneumothorax, and pleural effusions, requiring an intensive treatment, often including mechanical ventilation.

Repeated lung diagnostic evaluations are needed in patients affected by blunt thoracic trauma, in order to follow up the clinical situation and monitoring the results of the therapeutic strategies.

Bedside radiography, clinical evaluation and serial measurements of respiratory variables are considered helpful but not sufficient; a daily chest X-ray is not more recommended, but only based on clinical indications or changing in clinical condition.

Nowadays, lung ultrasound is increasingly being incorporated in many stages, including follow-up, of trauma care, with accurate definition of indications.

computed tomography is actually considered the gold standard technique.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Radiology, S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Stefania Ianniello M.D., Maria Gabriella Merola, Matteo Pignatelli, Riccardo Ferrari & Margherita Trinci

  2. Department of Radiology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Vittorio Miele

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  1. Stefania Ianniello M.D.
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  2. Maria Gabriella Merola
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Correspondence to Stefania Ianniello M.D. .

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  1. Department of Radiology, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy

    Vittorio Miele

  2. Dept of Emergency Radiology, S. Camillo Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Margherita Trinci

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Ianniello, S., Merola, M.G., Pignatelli, M., Ferrari, R., Trinci, M., Miele, V. (2018). The Follow-Up of Patients with Thoracic Injuries. In: Miele, V., Trinci, M. (eds) Diagnostic Imaging in Polytrauma Patients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62054-1_23

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