title: [Outcome of treatment for chest trauma at a single institution].
abstract: Between March 2005 and September 2009, 41,827 patients visited our emergency outpatient clinic, and 50 patients (0.12%) were admitted to our institution for chest trauma. Seventy percent of the chest traumas were caused by traffic accidents. Eighty-five percent of the traffic accidents were associated with car driving or motorcycle driving. Rib fracture, pneumothorax, hemothorax, and lung injury were seen in 56%, 40%, 22%, and 28% of the patients, respectively. Chest tube drainage was performed in 36% of the patients. Sixty-two percent of the patients with chest trauma underwent conservative follow-up. Only 1 patient underwent the ligation of the intercostal artery. One patient with chest trauma and fracture of the cervical vertebra and the pelvis died, who was in the state of cardio-pulmonary arrest on arrival. Forty-nine patients were discharged in 15.2 +/- 17.0 days. Twenty-two percent of the patients were hospitalized only 1 night.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Toyohashi Medical Center, Toyohashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imaizumi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome