RT Book, Section
A1 Doherty, Gerard M.
SR Print(0)
ID 58102556
T1 Thoracic Injuries
T2 Quick Answers Surgery
YR 2010
FD 2010
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 
LK accesssurgery.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=58102556
RD 2024/04/24
AB •  Simple  rib  fracture  is  most  common  thoracic  injury•  Spectrum  from  simple  rib  fracture  to  fracture  with  hemothorax  to  flail  chest  with  associated  pulmonary  contusion•  Flail  chest  occurs  when  a  portion  of  the  chest  wall  becomes  separated  from  the  rib  cage  by  multiple  fractures  and  moves  opposite  to  the  rib  cage  with  rib  inspiration  and  expiration  decreasing  respiratory  efficiency•  Early  deaths  commonly  due  to:  -Airway  obstruction-Flail  chest-Open  pneumothorax-Massive  hemothorax-Tension  pneumothorax-Cardiac  tamponade•  Late  deaths  are  due  to:  -Respiratory  failure-Sepsis-Unrecognized  injuries•  85%  of  chest  injuries  do  NOT  require  open  thoracotomy