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HOME > J Korean Soc Traumatol > Volume 18(2); 2005 > Article
Clinical Investigation of Pediatric Blunt Thoracic Trauma
Journal of Trauma and Injury 2005;18(2):119-126
DOI: https://doi.org/
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Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery*, Department of Pediatrics**,Gil Medical Center, Gachon Medical School, Incheon, Korea, Emergency Medical Information Center, Incheon, Korea***, Department of Emergency Medicine, Masan Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Masan, Korea†, Department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Chosun University, Kwangju, Korea††

Background
Blunt thoracic trauma in children has a high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we assessed the significance of the injury pattern, mechanism and initial status in emergency department on severity and prognosis in pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and chest X-ray and CT images of 111 pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients from October 2000 to June 2005. Data recorded age, gender, season, injury mechanism, injury pattern, associated injury, length of hospital stay and cause of death. Result: Of all 111 patients, 68 patients were injured by motor vehicle accidents, 30 were falls, 5 were motorcycle accidents, 3 were sports accidents and 5 were miscellaneous. In thoracic trauma, single injury of lung contusion were 35 patients and 32 patients had multiple thoracic injuries. Hospital stay in school age group were longer than preschool age group. The causes of death were brain injury in 9, respiratory distress in 4, and hypovolemic shock in 2 patients. Emergently transfused and mechanically ventilated patients had higher mortality rates than other patients. Patients required emergency operation and patients with multiple thoracic injuries had higher mortality rates. Conclusion: In this study, patients with combined injury, emergency transfusion, mechanical ventilation, emergency operation, multiple injuries in chest X-ray had higher mortality rates. Therefore in these pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients, accurate initial diagnosis and proper management is required.

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