title: Thoracic trauma: analysis of 100 consecutive cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze thoracic trauma assisted by the Emergency Service of Hospital da Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients with thoracic trauma were assisted throughout six months in 2006. Data from their records were collected and a protocol of thoracic trauma was fulfilled. The Revised Trauma Score was used to evaluate gravity of injury and to calculate the survival index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prevalence of trauma injury in male from 20 to 29 years old was observed. Out of all patients, 44 had blunt trauma and 56 penetrating trauma (78.6% presented stab wounds and 21.4% gun shots). Up to the settings of injuries, 23% were in the thoracoabdominal transition, 7% in the precordium and 70% in the remainder thoracic area. In those with the thoracoabdominal transition injury, 22.7% were hemodynamically unstable and 77.3% stable. Thoracoabdominal injury patients presented 40.9% of diaphragm wound and all were stable. Of those with precordium wound, 37.5% presented cardiac injury. In cardiac onset, 66.7% presented stable and 33.3% unstable. Thoracic drainage was the most accomplished surgical procedure (71%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The thoracic trauma patient is most prevalently young male with stab wound penetrating injury, without associated injuries, hemodynamically stable, presenting hemothorax, with high probability of survival.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Maíra Benito
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Scapolan
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Nathália Lins Pontes
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paul - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Silvia Stiefano
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nitrini
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Saad Junior
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gonçalves
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Jacqueline Arantes Giannini
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Perlingeiro
authors.affiliation: Department Thoracic Surgery, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Santa Casa de São Paulo - FCMSCSP, São Paulo, SP, BR.
authors.forename: Jorge Henrique
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rivaben