A conservative approach to penetrating injuries of the chest. Experience with 131 successive cases.
One hundred and thirty-one cases of penetrating injuries of the chest were reviewed prospectively. A policy of conservative management is advocated, based on the intercostal drainage of moderate or large collections of fluid and/or air. The site of the intercostal drain is not an important factor in the management.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004322:Drainage / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*