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CHEST TRAUMA

CHEST TRAUMA. Victor Politi,M.D., FACP Medical Director, SVCMC Physician Assistant Program. Statistics. Each year there are nearly 150,000 accidental deaths in the United States 25% of these deaths are a direct result of thoracic trauma

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CHEST TRAUMA

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  1. CHEST TRAUMA Victor Politi,M.D., FACP Medical Director, SVCMC Physician Assistant Program

  2. Statistics • Each year there are nearly 150,000 accidental deaths in the United States • 25% of these deaths are a direct result of thoracic trauma • An additional 25% of traumatic deaths have chest injury as a contributing factor

  3. Statistics • Chest injuries are the second leading cause of trauma deaths each year. • Most thoracic injuries (90% of blunt trauma and 70% to 85% of penetrating trauma) can be managed without surgery.

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  5. CAUSES OF THORACIC TRAUMA • Falls • 3 times the height of the patient • Blast Injuries • overpressure, plasma forced into alveoli • Blunt Trauma • Penetrating trauma 

  6. Incidence of Chest Trauma • Cause 1 of 4 American trauma deaths • Contributes to another 1 of 4 • Many die after reaching hospital - could bepreventedifrecognized • <10% of blunt chest trauma needs surgery • 1/3 of penetrating trauma needs surgery • Most life-saving procedures do NOT require a thoracic surgeon

  7. Classifications of Chest Injuries • Skeletal injury • Pulmonary injury • Heart and great vessel injury • Diaphragmatic injury

  8. ClassificationMechanism of Injury • Blunt thoracic injuries • Forces distributed over a large area • Deceleration • Compression

  9. ClassificationMechanism of Injury • Penetrating thoracic injuries • Forces are distributed over a small area. • Organs injured are usually those that lie along the path of the penetrating object

  10. Injury Patterns • General types • Open injuries • Closed injuries

  11. Injury Patterns • Cardiovascular • Pleural and pulmonary • Mediastinal • Diaphragmatic • Esophageal • Penetrating cardiac trauma • Blast injury • Confined spaces • Shock wave • Thoracic cage

  12. Anatomy • Skin • Bones • Thoracic cage • Sternum • Thoracic spine

  13. Anatomy • Muscles • The respiratory muscles contract in response to stimulation of the phrenic and intercostal nerves. • Trachea • Bronchi • Lungs

  14. Vascular Anatomy • Arteries • Aorta • Carotid • Subclavian • Intercostal

  15. Vascular Anatomy • Veins • Superior vena cava • Inferior vena cava • Subclavian • Internal jugular

  16. Vascular Anatomy • Pulmonary • Arteries • Veins

  17. Vascular Anatomy • Heart • Ventricles • Atria • Valves • Pericardium

  18. Anatomy • Mediastinum • The area between the lungs • Heart • Trachea • Vena cavae • Pulmonary artery • Aorta • Esophagus • Lymph nodes

  19. Anatomy • Physiology • Ventilation—the mechanical process of moving air into and out of the lungs • Respiration—the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide between the outside atmosphere and the cells of the body

  20. Pathophysiology • Impairments in cardiac output • Blood loss • Increased intrapleural pressures • Blood in the pericardial sac • Myocardial valve damage • Vascular disruption

  21. Pathophysiology • Impairments in cardiac output • Blood loss • Increased intrapleural pressures • Blood in the pericardial sac • Myocardial valve damage • Vascular disruption

  22. Pathophysiology • Impairments in gas exchange • Atelectasis • Contused lung tissue • Disruption of the respiratory tract Impairments in gas exchange • Atelectasis • Contused lung tissue • Disruption of the respiratory tract

  23. Chest TraumaInitial Evaluation • Hypoxia and hypoventilation are the primary killers of acute trauma patients. • Assessment of ventilation is therefore given high priority in the primary survey - as the second 'B' or Breathing stage.

  24. Pathophysiology of Chest Trauma hypovolemia ventilation- perfusion mismatch Inadequate oxygen delivery to tissues changes in intrathoracic pressure relationships TISSUE HYPOXIA

  25. Pathophysiology of Chest Trauma • Tissue hypoxia • Hypercarbia • Respiratory acidosis - inadequate ventilation • Metabolic acidosis - tissue hypoperfusion (e.g., shock)

  26. Chest TraumaInitial Evaluation • Life-threatening injuries should be identified and treated immediately. • Injuries may develop over time, and become life-threatening during the course of a resuscitation. • Re-assessment and evaluation is therefore extremely important, especially if the patient's condition deteriorates.

  27. Chest Trauma - Initial EvaluationMechanism of Injury • Mechanism of injury is important in so far as blunt and penetrating injuries have different pathophysiologies and clinical courses. • Most blunt injuries are managed non-operatively or with simple interventions like intubation and ventilation and chest tube insertion.

  28. Chest Trauma - Initial EvaluationMechanism of Injury • Diagnosis of blunt injuries may be more difficult and require additional investigations such as CT scanning. • Patients with penetrating trauma may deteriorate rapidly, and recover much faster than patients with blunt injury.

  29. Initial assessment and management • Primary survey • Resuscitation of vital functions • Detailed secondary survey • Definitive care

  30. Initial assessment and management • Hypoxia is most serious problem - early interventions aimed at reversing • Immediate life-threatening injuries treated quickly and simply - usually with a tube or a needle • Secondary survey guided by high suspicion for specific injuries

  31. 6 Immediate Life Threats • Airway obstruction • Tension pneumothorax • Open pneumothorax “sucking chest wound” • Massive hemothorax • Flail chest • Cardiac tamponade

  32. 6 Potential Life Threats • Pulmonary contusion • Myocardial contusion • Traumatic aortic rupture • Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture • Tracheobronchial tree injury - larynx, trachea, bronchus • Esophageal trauma

  33. 6 Other Frequent Injuries • Subcutaneous emphysema • Traumatic asphyxia • Simple pneumothorax • Hemothorax • Scapula fracture • Rib fractures

  34. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationPrimary Survey • Monitoring • Oxygen Saturation • End-tidal CO2 (if intubated) • Diagnostic Studies • Chest X-ray • FAST ultrasound • Arterial Blood Gas • Interventions • Chest drain • ED Thoracotomy

  35. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationSecondary Survey • The secondary survey is a more detailed and complete examination, aimed at identifying all injuries and planning further investigation and treatment. • Chest injuries identified on secondary survey and its adjuncts are: • Rib fractures and flail chest • Pulmonary contusion • Simple pneumothorax • Simple haemothorax • Blunt aortic injury • Blunt myocardial injury

  36. Primary Survey • Airway • Breathing • Circulation

  37. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationPhysical examination • Physical examination is the primary tool for diagnosis of acute thoracic trauma. • However, in the noisy ER or in the pre-hospital arena, an adequate physical examination may be very difficult. • Even under ideal conditions, signs of significant thoracic injury may be subtle or even absent. • It is important also to understand that these conditions develop over time.

  38. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationPhysical examination • With the advantages of rapid prehospital transport many of these conditions will not have fully developed by the time the patient reaches the emergency department. • While the initial primary survey may identify some of these conditions, an initial normal examination does not exclude any of them, and serial examinations and use of diagnostic adjuncts is important.

  39. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationPhysical examination • Look • Determine the respiratory rate and depthLook for chest wall asymmetry. Paradoxical chest wall motion Look for bruising, seat belt or steering wheel marks, penetrating wounds • Feel • Feel for the trachea for deviationAssess whether there is adequate and equal chest wall movementFeel for chest wall tenderness or rib 'crunching' indicating rib fracturesFeel for subcutaneous emphysema

  40. Chest Trauma – Initial EvaluationPhysical examination • Listen • Listen for normal, equal breath sounds on both sides.Listen especially in the apices and axillae and at the back of the chest (or as far as you can get while supine). • Percuss • Percuss both sides of the chest looking for dullness or resonance (more difficult to appreciate in the trauma room).

  41. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation Classic PE findings • The size of the injury, and position of the patient will affect the clinical findings. • For example, a small hemothorax may have no clinical signs at all. • A moderate hemothorax will be dull to percussion with absent breath sounds at the bases in the erect patient, whereas signs will be posterior in the supine patient. This is also reflected in chest X-ray findings.

  42. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation Classic PE findings

  43. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation • Note- a collapsed lung on one side can mimic a tension pneumothorax on the other side. • This is a common error, usually occurring when a tracheal tube has been incorrectly placed in the right main bronchus, obstructing the right upper lobe bronchus. • This leads to collapse of the right upper lobe and shift of the trachea to the right. • The left chest appears hype-resonant compared to the left, and breath sounds may be difficult to determine. • The patient may end up with an unnecessary chest drain.

  44. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation • Oxygen saturation • Pulse oximetry allows continuous, non-invasive assessment of arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation. • Continuous oxygen saturation monitoring should be used during the resuscitation of all trauma patients.

  45. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation • End-tidal carbon dioxide • End-tidal carbon dioxide monitoring (ETCO2) should be used in all intubated trauma patients. • ETCO2 is the only definitive method of confirming placement of a tracheal tube. • Other methods, such as watching for chest wall movement and listening to breath sounds or for air in the stomach are inaccurate, especially in the setting of the trauma resuscitation room. • ETCO2 also allows for the estimation of the arterial PaCO2 level, and for its continuous montioring. • This is important for all mechanically ventilated patients and vital for patients with traumatic brain injury.

  46. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation • Chest X-ray • The plain antero-posterior chest radiograph remains the standard initial evaluation for the evaluation of chest trauma. • Although the indications and techniques are slightly different for blunt and penetrating trauma.

  47. Chest Trauma – Initial Evaluation • Blunt trauma • All blunt trauma patients should have a portable chest X-ray performed in the trauma resuscitation room. • The chest X-ray is a rapid screening examination that will identify significant thoracic problems requiring intervention.

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