Trauma de tórax

Autores/as

  • Javier Vega S. Hospital de Urgencia Asistencia Pública
  • Hugo Álvarez M. Hospital San Juan de Dios
  • Enrica Ramírez P. Universidad de Chile
  • Dimitri Pavlov L. Instituto Nacional del Tórax

Resumen

Thoracic trauma is a frequent medical consult in emergency rooms. The initial approach is no different than the one used in polytraumatized, oriented by current trauma guidelines resulting of surgery and emergency consensus. Most thoracic injuries can be managed with simple maneuvers such as tube thoracostomy; however, 10% to 15% of patients who present with thoracic trauma require definitive operative repair. This article reviews the most common trauma related thoracic injuries in our medical setting: hemothorax, simple pneumothorax, tension pneumothorax, open pneumothorax, rib fractures, flail chest, lung contusion and cardiac tamponade. We also describe different forms of thoracotomy depending on the physiological status of patient at the emergency room and new treatments.

Palabras clave:

Traumatismos Torácicos, Neumotórax, Fracturas de las Costillas