Polytrauma with thoracic and/or abdominal injuries: experience in 1 540 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the early diagnosis and treatment of polytrauma patients with thoracic and/or abdominal injuries.


METHODS
The data of all polytrauma patients with thoracic and/or abdominal injuries during the past 10 years were studied retrospectively.


RESULTS
In the present study, there were 1 540 polytrauma patients, accounting for 65.0% of all 2 368 trauma patients. Of these patients, 62.4% were in shock state on admission. The operative rates were 15.0% (181/1 206) and 79.9% (612/766) in patients with thoracic and abdominal injury (P<0.01), 5.2% (39/758) and 31.7% (142/448) in patients with blunt and penetrating chest trauma (P<0.01), and 72.45% (359/496) and 93.7% (253/270) in patients with blunt and penetrating abdominal injuries (P<0.01), respectively. To deal with abdominal injury, angioembolization was performed in 43 cases, with 42 cured. The overall mortality rate was 6.2%. And in the blunt and penetrating subgroups, the mortalities were 7.9% (75/950) and 3.6% (21/590), respectively (P<0.01). Most patients died from exsanguination.


CONCLUSIONS
The first "golden hour" after trauma should be grasped, since the treatment in this hour can determine greatly whether the critically-injured victim could survive. Prompt diagnosis and proper treatment contribute more greatly to the survival of the victim than the severity of injury.
Gao
Jin-Mou
JM
Department of Traumatology, Chongqing Emergency Medical Center, Chongqing 400014, China. gaojinmou2002@sina.com
Gao
Yun-Han
YH
Zeng
Jian-Bo
JB
Wang
Jian-Bai
JB
He
Ping
P
Wei
Gong-Bin
GB
Xiang
Zhen
Z
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy