Article

Urgent and emergent thoracotomy for penetrating chest trauma.

Department of Surgery, Box 359796, 325 Ninth Avenue, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
The Journal of trauma (impact factor: 2.48). 04/2004; 56(3):664-8; discussion 668-9.
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Resuscitative thoracotomy (TCY) after trauma has an overall dismal survival rate, yet patients with isolated penetrating chest wounds have the best chance of meaningful recovery. Although the major factor in outcome is presenting physiology, the site of the TCY may influence survival, with the operating room offering a superior environment to the emergency room.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of location of TCY on outcome after penetrating chest injury.
This was a multicenter study of patients admitted with either stab (SW) or gunshot wound (GSW) to the chest, with systolic blood pressure < or = 90 mm Hg, and who underwent TCY within 60 minutes of arrival. Time to TCY, Injury Severity Score, location of TCY (emergency room, operating room, or resuscitation room), and detectable systolic pressure at admission were among the factors studied.
Over a 4-year period, 78 SW and 140 GSW victims underwent TCY. GSW victims had greater Injury Severity Scores (39.4 +/- 23.1 for GSW vs. 27.2 +/- 15.7 for SW, p < 0.001) and mortality (69% for GSW vs. 37% for SW, p < 0.001). No parameter studied was found to be significantly associated with survival after SW. After GSW, survival was 13.5 times more likely if TCY was performed in the resuscitation room (confidence interval, 3.3-54.6) and 22 times more likely if it was performed in the operating room (confidence interval, 6.7-73.7).
Although patient selection is the primary factor determining outcome, there may be an independent benefit for performing TCY after GSW in a specialized resuscitation room or the operating room.

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  • Article: Immediate thoracotomy for penetrating injuries: ten years' experience at a Dutch level I trauma center.
    O J F Van Waes, P A Van Riet, E M M Van Lieshout, D D Hartog
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    ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: An emergency department thoracotomy (EDT) or an emergency thoracotomy (ET) in the operating theater are both beneficial in selected patients following thoracic penetrating injuries. Since outcome-descriptive European studies are lacking, the aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate ten years of experience at a Dutch level I trauma center. METHOD: Data on patients who underwent an immediate thoracotomy after sustaining a penetrating thoracic injury between October 2000 and January 2011 were collected from the trauma registry and hospital files. Descriptive and univariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among 56 patients, 12 underwent an EDT and 44 an ET. Forty-six patients sustained one or multiple stab wounds, versus ten with one or multiple gunshot wounds. Patients who had undergone an EDT had a lower GCS (p < 0.001), lower pre-hospital RTS and hospital triage RTS (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively), and a lower SBP (p = 0.038). A witnessed loss of signs of life generally occurred in EDT patients and was accompanied by 100 % mortality. Survival following EDT was 25 %, which was significantly lower than in the ET group (75 %; p = 0.002). Survivors had lower ISS (p = 0.011), lower rates of pre-hospital (p = 0.031) and hospital (p = 0.003) hemodynamic instability, and a lower prevalence of concomitant abdominal injury (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: The overall survival rate in our study was 64 %. The outcome of immediate thoracotomy performed in this level I trauma center was similar to those obtained in high-incidence regions like the US and South Africa. This suggests that trauma units where immediate thoracotomies are not part of the daily routine can achieve similar results, if properly trained.
    European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery 10/2012; 38(5):543-551. · 0.33 Impact Factor
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Keywords

140 GSW victims
 
4-year period
 
detectable systolic pressure
 
dismal survival rate
 
factors
 
independent benefit
 
Injury Severity Score
 
major factor
 
meaningful recovery
 
multicenter study
 
operating room offering
 
patient selection
 
penetrating chest injury
 
penetrating chest wounds
 
primary factor
 
resuscitation room
 
Resuscitative thoracotomy
 
specialized resuscitation room
 
superior environment
 
systolic blood pressure