A clinical evaluation was done on 120 cases of chest injury patients treated in the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chonnam National University Hospital for the period of 6 years and 3 months from January, 1968 to March, 197.4.
1) Of 120 cases, 52 cases(43.3%) were non-penetrating injuries and 66 cases(56.7%) penetrating injuries. Of them, 107 cases (89.2%) were males and 13 cases(10.8%) were females.
2) The most common etiology was stab wound(61 cases) and traffic accident(23 cases) was the next.
3) In 70% of all cases, treatment was initiated within 6 hours after receiving trauma.
4) The types of lesions in order of frequency were hemothorax(36 cases), chest wall injuries alone(27 cases), hemopneumothorax (22 cases), pneumothorax(17 cases). Of them, right sided lesions were 52 cases(43.3%) and left sided lesions were 65 casz!s(51.2%) and 3 cases were bilateral lesions.
5) Repeated thoracentesis and closed thoracostomy were the treatment of choice in most, cases in order to reestablish early and rapid reexpansion of the lungs. Open thoracotomy was, however, mandatory on 39 cases(32; 5% ).
6) The overal mortality was 5.8% (7 cases); 5 cases of nonpenetrating injuries and 2 cases of penetrating ones
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