Trauma is the leading cause of mortality in persons aged 1 year to the fifth decade of life.1 Of all traumatic injuries, thoracic trauma is the second most common cause of mortality, accounting for about 25 percent of traumatic deaths in the United States.2
Thoracic trauma is characterized based on the mechanism of injury. Penetrating chest trauma is often related to stab and gunshot wounds. Blunt chest trauma is most commonly associated with motor vehicle collision, fall from height, crush, blast and assault.3 Thoracic trauma can result in respiratory distress due to pulmonary contusion, multiple rib fractures, flail chest, pneumothorax, aspiration, tracheobronchial injury or hemothorax. Thoracic trauma may also result in shock from hemorrhage, ventricular dysfunction, cardiac tamponade or tension pneumothorax.4
Many chest injuries cause death within the first minutes or hours. Multisystem injuries are often present, including brain, spine, abdomen, extremity and maxillofacial. Initial resuscitation...
