الفهرس 
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Abstract
Traumatic injury continues to be a worldwide burden on all societies. Globally, 10% of all trauma admissions result from chest injuries. Thoracic injuries are primarily responsible for 25% of all trauma deaths and contribute to a further 25% of deaths. This prospective study aimed at evaluating the presentation, diagnosis, management and prognosis of chest trauma.
Over the period of 6 months between July and December, 2012, 193 patients were admitted with chest trauma to Minia University Hospital emergency department. Of these, 87.6% were males, and 68.4% were between 13 and 39 years old. Penetrating trauma was the cause of injury in 51.8% of cases, most commonly due to stab wounds.
Data collected included personal data (age, sex), admission data (pattern of trauma, blood pressure, respiratory rate, type of injury, associated injuries), investigations done, operative data, ISS, NISS, progress notes, complications, hospital LOS, ICU stay, the need for mechanical ventilation, the need for blood or blood product transfusion and mortality.
Shock was found in 25.4% of patients as they arrived at our hospital, while respiratory distress was found in 42% of cases. Associated extrathoracic injuries were found in 33.2% of cases, with exterimity trauma being the most frequently encountered extrathoracic injury.
Chest X-ray was performed for 95.9% of patients. The most common findings on chest X-rays were hemothoraces, pneumothoraces and rib fractures. Other imaging modalities used were chest Ultrasonography and chest CT.
Hemothorax was the most frequently diagnosed intrathoracic injury, followed by rib fractures and pneumothorax. Lung contusions were diagnosed in 16.6% of cases and flail chest was diagnosed in 4.7% of cases. Cardiac injuries were detected in 4 (2.1%) cases.
About 58% of cases were treated by insertion of a thoracostomy tube. Only 12.4% of cases required a more invasive surgical procedure. Upon surgical exploration of the chest, the lungs were the most frequently organs found injured, followed by the diaphragm.
The mean hospital LOS was 4.2 ± 3.9 days, and it was significantly associated with the ISS and the NISS. The mean hospital LOS was longer in cases of blunt than penetrating trauma (4.8 and 3.7 days respectively, P-value = 0.05).