title: The profile of chest injuries in a southeastern Nigeria teaching hospital, a 10-year experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Globally, major chest injuries have both high morbidity and mortality. A detailed study of chest injuries in south-eastern Nigeria is here presented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence, the predisposing factors, the pattern of presentation and the outcome of management of chest injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study spanning a period of 10 years (2002-2011). The medical records of all patients with documented chest injuries that presented to our hospital within the period under review, were retrieved and analysed, by simple arithmetic percentages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 402 patients (average of 40/year) with the age ranges in the spectrum of 0-10 and 81-90 years, with a mean of 2.2 were found. Gender-wise, 301 males (74.9%) and 101 females (25.1%) were affected. The aetiological or the predisposing factors were blunt chest injuries (61.2%) and penetrating chest injuries (38.8%). In the pattern of presentation, haemothorax (20.9%), haemopneumothorax (16.2%), pneumothorax (17.4%) including simple, open and tension types as well as multiple ribs fractures (7.7%) constituted the majority. In the management strategies, conservative methods were mainly used. The outcome ranged from very good to fair.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The management of chest injuries in our sub-region like any other developing countries is very much challenging. Concerted efforts are needed to overcome the burden it imposes.
authors: I A
authors: IA
authors: Nwafor
authors: J C
authors: JC
authors: Eze
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Ezemba
authors: O C
authors: OC
authors: Onyekwulu
authors: Adikwu
authors: A
authors: Brown
authors: C H
authors: CH
authors: Anyanwu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy