Faisal G Bhopal, M Jehangir S Khan, Muhammed lqbal.
Penetrating Chest Injuries.
Pak Armed Forces Med J Jan ;50(1):29-31.

Penetrating wounds to the chest in civilian practice result mainly from stabbing or gun shot wounds. A study was carried out in surgical department of Rawalpindi General Hospital from October 1996 to October 1998, to know the cause of increasing incidence of penetrating chest injuries, its clinical presentation, treatment options, morbidity and mortality. Patients of all ages and either sex were included. 45 patients with penetrating injuries were hospitalized. The age range was between 17-57 years. There were 42 males and 3 females. 29 patients had Gunshots, 16 had Stab wounds. Patients with cardiac injuries were excluded from the study. 28 patients got isolated chest injuries and 17 patients had associated injuries. 55.55% patients required chest intubation only, 13.33% required laparotomy and chest intubation and 6.66% had thoracocentesis. Ten patients were treated by observation alone. 2 patients died (mortality = 4.4%). The major complications occurred in 26.6 %. Surgical emphysema developed in 4 patients. Wound infections in 4.4 %. Thoracic empyema developed in two patients and were treated with tube thoracostomy and ribs resection. The duration of stay ranged from 2 to 54 days. The mean hospital stay was 3 days in patients with penetrating chest injuries alone and 24 days who had associated abdominal injuries. Two patients with stab wound and one patient with gunshot wound developed haemothorax after 16 hours of admission. In two patients chest intubation was done and thoracocentesis done in other patient and 250 ml blood aspirated with 14 G intravenous cannula. First aid training to public and mass education can prevent early deaths. Tube thorocostomy is the most common method of treating penetrating chest injuries.

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