RT Book, Section
A1 Wall Jr, Matthew J.
A1 Tsai, Peter I.
A1 Mattox, Kenneth L.
A2 Moore, Ernest E.
A2 Feliciano, David V.
A2 Mattox, Kenneth L.
SR Print(0)
ID 1147416760
T1 Heart and Thoracic Vascular Injuries
T2 Trauma, 8e
YR 2017
FD 2017
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071847292
LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1147416760
RD 2024/04/25
AB The  heart  and  its  tributaries  are  encased  in  the  thoracic  skeleton  composed  of  the  manubrium,  sternum,  clavicles,  rib  cage,  and  vertebral  bodies.  This  rigid  chassis  protects  the  heart,  lungs,  and  great  vessels.  Trauma  may  result  from  penetrating  or  blunt  mechanisms.  The  bony  structures,  interestingly,  can  also  provide  unique  forms  of  injuries  as  they  cause  deflection  of  bullets,  altering  vectors  of  the  original  direction  of  penetration  or  by  secondary  fragments.  Blunt  forces  can  lead  to  crushing,  traction,  or  torsion  injuries  to  the  heart  from  deceleration.  Penetrating  trauma  to  the  great  vessels  usually  leads  to  immediate  exsanguination  or,  through  a  pattern  of  injury  similar  to  blunt  trauma  including  pseudoaneurysm,  partial  transection  with  intimal  flap,  thrombosis,  and  propagation.