Injuries that kill early:
- Heart
- Great vessels
Injuries that kill late:
- Tracheobronchial tree
Injuries that kill if missed:
- Oesophagus
- Azygous vein
Injuries that cause morbidity:
- Thoracic duct
- Spinal cord
- Diaphragm
For specific injuries, see:
CT showing R pneumothorax, haemothorax, and chest drain in situ.
EBM:
Jared Griffard, Lisa M Kodadek. Management of Blunt Chest Trauma. Surg Clin North Am. 2024 Apr;104(2):343-354.
Common mechanisms of blunt thoracic injury include motor vehicle collisions and falls. Chest wall injuries include rib fractures and sternal fractures; treatment involves supportive care, multimodal analgesia, and pulmonary toilet. Pneumothorax, hemothorax, and pulmonary contusions are also common and may be managed expectantly or with tube thoracostomy as indicated. Surgical treatment may be considered in select cases. Less common injury patterns include blunt trauma to the tracheobronchial tree, esophagus, diaphragm, heart, or aorta. Operative intervention is more often required to address these injuries.