title: Critical analysis of thoracotomies performed in the emergency room in 10 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct a critical analysis of thoracotomies performed in the emergency rooms.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed mortality rates and survival as outcome variables, mechanism of injury, site of injury and anatomic injury as clinical variables, and gender and age as demographic variables of patients undergoing thoracotomy in the emergency room after traumatic injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 105 patients, 89.5% were male. The average age was 29.2 years. Penetrating trauma accounted for 81% of cases. The most common mechanism of trauma was wound by a firearm projectile (gunshot), in 64.7% of cases. Patients with stab wounds (SW) accounted for 16.2% of cases. Overall survival was 4.7%. Survival by gunshot was 1.4%, and by SW, 23.5%. The ERT following blunt trauma showed a 100%mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results obtained in the Emergency Hospital of Porto Alegre POA-HPS are similar to those reported in the world literature.
authors.affiliation: Porto Alegre Emergency Room, HPS-POA, Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcelo Beck
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Porto Alegre Emergency Room, HPS-POA, Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Diego Carrão
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Winckler
authors.affiliation: Porto Alegre Emergency Room, HPS-POA, Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Nádia Gabriele
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Rudnick
authors.affiliation: Porto Alegre Emergency Room, HPS-POA, Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Breigeiron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult