title: Successful treatment of exsanguinating aortic injury from a fractured rib.
abstract: A 57-year-old man presented in shock after a 15-foot fall from a ladder. A massive left hemothorax was present. He underwent prompt thoracotomy and was found to have a penetrating injury of the descending thoracic aorta caused by a fractured rib. Successful management of this type of aortic injury has not been previously reported.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, USA.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kern
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: I L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Kron
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications*; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000601:surgery*
chemical_list: D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene