title: Double jeopardy: thoracoabdominal injuries requiring surgical intervention in both chest and abdomen.
abstract: The critical decisions in patients with thoracoabdominal trauma are establishing the need to explore either or both cavities and determining appropriate sequencing. The causes and patterns of management difficulties were analyzed in 82 consecutive patients with penetrating thoracoabdominal injuries. Nine thoracotomies (11%) and 16 laparotomies (22%) were negative, with the major causes being misleading chest tube outputs, bullet trajectories, and abdominal tenderness. Inappropriate sequencing occurred in 19 patients (23%), and 15% required reoperation within 24 hours. Pitfalls and misjudgements in management of penetrating thoracoabdominal injuries occur in distinct patterns. The unreliability of chest tube output and abdominal examination must be kept in mind, and intraoperative clues of ongoing hemorrhage outside the operative field must be sought.
authors.affiliation: Cora and Webb Mading Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirshberg
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Mattox
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery