Rameez Ahmed Siddiqui, Shahida Parveen Afridi, Akram Rajput, Abdul Basir Khaskheli.
Tube Thoracostomy in Penetrating Thoracic Injuries.
J Surg Pak Jan ;21(4):138-41.

Objective: To determine the frequency of tube thoracostomy in penetrating thoracic injuries at a tertiary care hospital. Study design: Cross sectional study. Place & Duration of study: Department of Surgery Unit III, Civil Hospital / Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi, from March 2012 to March 2014. Methodology: All patients who presented with penetrating chest injuries due to firearm, stabs etc were treated according to ATLS protocol. Tube thoracostomy was performed when indicated. Chest tube was passed under local anesthesia. Results: A total of 100 patients included in this study. There were 92 males and 8 females. Mean age of the patients was 30+7.29 year. Mechanism of injuries included gunshot injury (n=62), stabs (n=24) and shrapnel injury (n=14). Pneumothorax was diagnosed in 39 patients, haemothorax in 35, sucking wound of the chest in 20 patients and major vascular injury in 4 patients. Associated extra thoracic injuries were present in 26 patients. Tube thoracostomy was performed in 78 patients. Twenty-two patients underwent thoracotomy. Conclusions: Majority of patients with penetrating chest injuries were managed by tube thoracostomy. No mortality occurred in this series.

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