The thoracic injury involves injury which occurs in the thoracic region of the body. The spectrum of manifestation can vary widely—from simple rib fracture to life threatening tension pneumothorax. In addition, the thorax encompasses the important organs of the body, such as the lungs and heart which may also be injured. There is a variability in the clinical manifestation based on the nature o...

The pulmonary complications of a 50-metre fall to the water (a form of suicide attempt producing 87% mortality) were studied in 15 survivors. Presenting findings included crackles, haemoptysis, and hypotension. The alveolar-arterial oxygen difference was greater than 150 mmHg (20 kPa) in nine subjects on admission. Ventilatory failure developed in 10 of the patients, including all of those with...

Blunt thoracic trauma can result in significant morbidity in injured patients. Both chest wall and the intrathoracic visceral injuries can lead to life-threatening complications if not anticipated and treated. Pain control, aggressive pulmonary toilet, and mechanical ventilation when necessary are the mainstays of supportive treatment. The elderly with blunt chest trauma are especially at risk ...

Thoracic ultrasound is a noninvasive and portable diagnostic tool which is highly indicated for an initial workup of thoracic emergencies. The suspicion of a pneumothorax, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism or a lung contusion after trauma can be quickly assessed using ultrasound. Main advantages are its good availability and the steep learning curve. Another advantage of thoracic sonography is that...

TOPIC: Cardiovascular Disease TYPE: Medical Student/Resident Case Reports INTRODUCTION: The right ventricle is the most proximal cardiac structure to chest wall and commonly injured during motor vehicle accidents blunt trauma. However, isolated ventricular failure an uncommon presentation of Here we report a case heart cardiogenic shock in setting trauma myocardial contusion. CASE PRESENTATION:...

BACKGROUND Management of tibial fractures associated with soft tissue injury remains controversial. Previous studies have assessed perfusion of the fractured tibia and surrounding soft tissues in the setting of a normal soft tissue envelope. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of muscle contusion on blood flow to the tibial cortex and muscle during reamed, intramedullary nail...

BACKGROUND The aims of the Langendorff-perfused rabbit heart study were to evaluate the arrhythmogenic consequences of myocardial contusion and to determine the mechanism of arrhythmia. METHODS Six hearts were in the control group, and 24 hearts (intact heart protocol) were submitted to one of four different contusion kinetic energies (75, 100, 150, or 200 millijoules [mJ]; n = 6). Occurrence...

STUDY OBJECTIVE Myocardial contusion may induce life-threatening complications, but its diagnosis is difficult. Circulating cardiac troponin T is considered a highly sensitive and specific marker of myocardial cell injury. We investigate the value of cardiac troponin T measurement in the diagnosis of myocardial contusion. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Level 1 trauma center. METHODS We...

BACKGROUND This study reports a 10-year retrospective analysis of multiple trauma complicated by pulmonary contusion. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the risk factors for mortality due to trauma in patients with pulmonary contusion, the impact of various treatment options for prognosis, and the risk factors for concurrent Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). METHODS We retros...

BACKGROUND Our preliminary studies indicated that electroacupuncture (EA) at the ST36 and Ashi acupoints could promote regeneration of the rabbit gastrocnemius (GM) by improving microcirculation perfusion, promoting the recovery of myofiber structures, and inhibiting excessive fibrosis. However, the effects of EA on recovery of the electrophysiological properties of the GM after contusion are n...