title: [Thoracic drainage at the accident site].
abstract: The helicopter medical team of the Basel University Hospital treated and evacuated 710 patients in 1987/88. 484 were trauma patients (68.2%) and the intensive medical care began on the accident scene in 56% of the cases. We treated 90 thoracic injuries. 58.9% of these patients needed a chest tube which was directly inserted at the emergency place in 41.4% of the cases. An endotracheal intubation was necessary for 83.8% of the patients with in-field insertion of a chest tube and for 33.9% of other injured persons. No iatrogenic complications were observed. The clinical follow-up showed less complications for infield treated patients. We conclude that in-field insertion of chest tubes, if correctly performed, is a safe procedure contributing to diminish the lethality and the morbidity of trauma patients.
authors.affiliation: Département de chirurgie, Hôpital cantonal universitaire, Bâle.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Demartines
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiener
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Harder
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality; D000401:Aircraft; D015505:Chest Tubes; D005392:First Aid; D006801:Humans; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*
vernacular_title: Drainage thoracique sur les lieux d'accidents.