European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Background: Trauma is reported to be the leading cause of death, hospitalization and morbidity in young population. Road traffic accidents (RTAs), fall from height, occupational injuries, and assault are the usual etiologies, RTAs being the commonest. Material and Methods: All the patients presenting with traumatic injury to the thorax with or without other associated injuries, between February 2019 to January 2023   at our centre were included in the study. Patient data  collected  comprised of demographic information of the patient, characteristics of injury, primary diagnosis, associated thoracic and non-thoracic injuries, medical and surgical interventions, and outcome of the injury.Results and Observations: There were 549 (65.6%) male and 288 (34.4%) female patients whose ages ranged from 2 years to 92  years with  mean age of  35.72 ± 15.18 years. There were 688 (82.2%) patients with blunt traumas and 149(17.8%) patients with penetrating traumas. In blunt thoracic trauma the most common mechanism was road traffic accident (n= 424, 61.6%), followed by fall from height (n=183, 26.5%), occupational accident (n=44, 6.3%), and assault (n=37, 5.3%). Rib fractures were the most common type of injury in our series and  presented in 498( 59.5%) patients. After rib fractures pneumothorax was the second most common type of injury (n=399, 47.7%),  followed by hemothorax (n=289, 34.5%), lung contusion (n=223, 26.6%). Approximately two-third  of the patients were having concomitant associated  injuries  (n=502 ,59.9 %), the commonest being extremity fracture (n=214, 42.6%). Tube thoracostomy (n=432, 51.6%) was the most common surgical intervention in our patients, followed by thoracotomy (n=16, 1.9 and conservative management  (n=389,46.4%) . The mean hospital length of stay (LOS) was 4.1 ± 3.6 days. The mortality rate was 0.9 % (8 out of  837 ). Hemorrhagic shock (n=5) and respiratory failure (n= 3) were the most causes of death.Conclusion: Middle aged  males owing to more outdoor activities and vehicular accidents bear most of the brunt of blunt chest trauma thus affecting the most productive age group of population. Rib fracture followed pneumothorax and hemothorax were the commonest injuries. Often a combination of these injuries were present.Majority of patients with blunt chest injuries can be managed at the level II trauma centre like ours.