title: Penetrating injuries involving the intrathoracic great vessels.
abstract: Forty-four consecutive patients with injuries to the intrathoracic great vessels admitted to our department from January 1982 to June 1994 were reviewed retrospectively. Forty-two patients (95%) sustained stabwounds and 2 (5%) patients had gunshot wounds. The most frequent radiological abnormality was mediastinal widening in 26 patients (59%). Eighteen patients (41%) were haemodynamically stable on admission with the remainder being unstable (46%), agonal (11%) or lifeless (2%). Twenty-two patients (50%) underwent angiography with 1 false-negative study. A total of 48 arterial and 16 venous injuries were identified with the innominate artery (N = 17, 39% of patients) and left innominate vein (N = 8, 18% of patients) the most frequently injured structures. Associated injuries to thoracic viscera occurred in 13 patients (30%). Two patients required cardiopulmonary bypass to repair their injuries. Arterial shunts were not used in any case. Overall mortality was 5% (2/44) and complications occurred in 7 patients (16%).
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: de Groot
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Buckels
authors.forename: U O
authors.initials: UO
authors.lastname: von Oppell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013895:Thoracic Arteries / Q000293:injuries*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000601:surgery; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000601:surgery