Crush thoracic trauma in the massive Sichuan earthquake: evaluation with multidetector CT of 215 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the multidetector computed tomographic (CT) features of crush thoracic traumas resulting from the massive Sichuan earthquake.


METHODS
This study was approved by the ethics committee of the medical school, and informed consent was waived. A retrospective review was undertaken of 215 multidetector chest CT scans of 112 male and 103 female patients who sustained crush thoracic injuries in the Sichuan earthquake at 2:28 pm Beijing time, May 12, 2008, and were rescued in the authors' hospital. Multidetector chest CT studies were performed between May 12, 2008, and June 7, 2008. The authors looked for injuries to the thoracic cage, pulmonary parenchyma, and pleura.


RESULTS
One hundred forty-three patients (66.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 60.2%, 72.8%) had at least one rib fracture; the mean number of rib fractures per patient was 6 [corrected]. Forty-five of these patients (31.5% of 143 patients; 95% CI: 23.9%, 39.1%) had flail chest, with a total of 288 ribs fractured. There were 46 patients (21.4%; 95% CI: 15.9%, 26.9%) with at least one vertebral fracture. There were 77 vertebral fractures total; 36 of these fractures were in T1 through T10. Twelve patients (5.6%; 95% CI: 2.5%, 8.7%) had sternal fractures, and 48 patients (22.3%; 95% CI: 16.7%, 27.9%) had either scapular or clavicular fractures. There were 117 patients (54.4%; 95% CI: 47.7%, 61.1%) with pulmonary parenchymal injuries and 146 (67.9%; 95% CI: 61.7%, 74.1%) with pleural injuries.


CONCLUSIONS
Crush thoracic trauma resulting from the massive Sichuan earthquake was a life-threatening injury; this type of injury has the potential for multiple fractures and pulmonary parenchymal injuries.
Dong
Zhi-Hui
ZH
Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China.
Yang
Zhi-Gang
ZG
Chen
Tian-Wu
TW
Feng
Yuan-Chun
YC
Chu
Zhi-Gang
ZG
Yu
Jian-Qun
JQ
Bai
Hong-Li
HL
Wang
Qi-Ling
QL
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003444:Crush Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed