Clinical observations were performed on 150 cases of chest trauma, those were admitted and treated at the Department of Surgery, Korea University Woosok Hospital, during the past 8 years period from August 1965 to August 1972.
1. The ratio of male to female patient of chest trauma was 3.4:1 in male predominence and age from 20 to 50 occupied 62% of the total cases.
2. The most common cause of chest trauma was traffic accident in this series. Eighty-one cases (54%) were injured by traffic accident and total cases due to blunt trauma (non-penetrating injury) were 113 cases(75.4%) including the cases with traffic accident, and remaining 37 cases(24.6%) were due to penetrating injury including 25(16.6%) cases of stab wounds.
3. Hemopneumothorax were observed in 64%(96 cases) of the total cases, and etiologic distribution revealed 78.1 % due to non-penetrating trauma and 20.8% due to penetrating injury.
4. Rib fracture was found in 50% of cases. Common injuries associated with rib fracture were lung, brain and liver.
5. Most common symptom was chest pain and respiratory difficulty, and common sign associated with chest injury was decreased respiratory sound and subcutaneous emphysema.
6. Conservative non-operative treatment was performed in 94 cases(62.6%) and 56 cases (37.4%) were treated with operative treatment including 31 cases(20.6%) with open thoracotomy.
7. Overall mortality was 9.3%(14 cases) and most common causes of death were due to brain edema, asphyxia and shock.
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