title: Emergency thoracotomy.
abstract: There continues to be a debate on the indications for and value of the emergency department thoracotomy, especially with regard to the subject of thoracotomy performed by the emergency physician. The current literature does not deal specifically with thoracotomies performed in the emergency department by an emergency physician on trauma patients. This article describes a technique for emergency department thoracotomy that can be performed by an emergency physician.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004630:Emergencies; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000628:therapy; D006335:Heart Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006336:Heart Massage / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012151:Resuscitation; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D013903:Thoracic Surgery / Q000379:methods