Thorax Flashcards
Secondary survey - Investigations & Monitoring
- Chest XR
- Trauma CT
- ABG
- ECG & Oximetry
Multiple rib fractures or fracture to 1st or 2nd ribs ?
Suggest significant force of impact
Investigative diagnosis of pneumothorax & haemothorax?
- eFAST (Extended Forcused Assessment using Sonography in Trauma)
- Up-right expiratory chest XR
The 8 leathal injuries to be identified in secondary survey?
- Simple PTX
- Haemothorax
- Flail chest
- Pulmonary contusion
- Blunt cardiac injury
- Traumatic aortic disruption
- Traumatic diaphragmatic injury
- Blunt oesophageal rupture
What is simple pneumothorax?
Air between the parietal and visceral pleura
Physiological effects of simple PTX?
- V/Q mismatch
Most common causes of PTX from blunt trauma?
- Lung laceration with air leak
Clinical signs of PTX?
- Breath sounds decreased on affected side
- Hyperresonant to percussion
What is the management of PTX?
Chest drain in the 5th intercostal space anterior to the midaxillary line. Connect to underwater seal +/ - Suction
If a patient with PTX needs ventilation?
A chest drain must be inserted prior
PTX and altitude?
Risk of expansion of PTX with increasing altitude even in a pressurized cabin.
What is haemothorax?
- Blood in pleural cavity < 1,500ml
- Blood > 1,500ml - Massive haemothrax
- > 200ml/hr for 2-4 hours - Massive HTX
Etiology of haemothorax from penetrating or blunt trauma?
- Lung laceration
- Great vessels laceration
- Intercostal vessels
- Internal mammary artery
- Thoracic spine fracture
Clinical signs of haemothorax?
- Dullness to percussion
Investigation of haemothorax?
- CXR in the supine position
Management of haemothorax?
- 28-32Fr chest drains
What is a flail segment?
- Trauma associated with multiple rib #s
- Costochondrial separation
What is pulmonary contusion?
- Bruising of the lungs by thoracic trauma
- Blood and fluid accumulation in the lungs#
- This can occur without rib # or flail chest
- Mostly young patients without ossified ribs
- Develops over time
Management of pulmonary contusion?
- Humidified oxygen
- Ventilation
- Fluid resuscitation (Low BP)
- Intubation if PO2 < 8.6 or sats < 90% (RA)
Risk factors for intubation after pulmonary contusion?
- COPD
- Renal impairment
Mechanism of blunt cardiac injury?
- Motor vehicle crash (50%)
- Pedestrian vs Vehicle
- Motorcycle
- Fall from height > 20ft or 6meters
Potential injuries from blunt cardiac trauma?
- Myocardial muscle contusion
- Cardic rupture
- Coronary artery dissection & thrombosis
- Valvular disruption
Clinical signs of Blunc Cardiac Injury?
- Hypotension
- Dysrrhythmias
- Regional wall motion abnormalities (ECHO)
- Raised CVP (RV dysfunction)
What are the common ECG changes with blunt cardiac injury?
- AF
- PVC
- Sinus tachycardia
- RBBB
- ST-segment changes
Traumatic aortic disruption - Patients with best prognosis for survival?
- Incomplete laceration close to ligamentum arteriorsum of aorta
- Contained haematoma
Mechanism of traumatic aortic disruption?
- Decelerating force
Radiographic signs of blunt aortic injury?
- Wide mediastinum
- Obliteration of aortic knob
- Deviation of the trachea to the right
- Depression of left main stem bronchus
- Elevation of the right mainstem bronchus
- Obscuration of the aortopulmonary window
- Deviation of oesophagus to the right (NGT)
- Wide paratracheal strip
- Pleura or apical cap
- Left haemothorax
- Fracture to 1st, 2nd rib or scapula
Investigation modalities for blunt aortic injury?
- About 1-13% show to XR changes
- Helical contrast-enhanced CT (100% S & S)
- Aortography
- TEE (Trans-oesophageal ECHO)
Pharmacological Mx of blunt aortic injury?
- Beta-blockers
- CCBs
- GTN or nitroprusside