• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.25 no.3
• /
• pp.94-96
• /
• 2012

Duodenal injuries following a blunt or penetrating trauma are uncommon and account for just 3% to 5% of all abdominal injuries. About 22% of all duodenal injuries are caused by blunt trauma. An overlooked injury or delayed diagnosis of duodenal injury may lead to increased mortality and morbidity. We report two cases of a duodenal injury following blunt abdominal trauma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.36 no.4
• /
• pp.416-420
• /
• 2023

Blunt intrathoracic tracheal injuries are rare, even among blunt chest trauma patients. An early diagnosis based on a high index of suspicion allows for timely surgical management of potentially fatal airway trauma, thereby improving overall outcomes. Diagnosing these injuries can be difficult due to their nonspecific clinical features and the occasional difficulty in radiologic diagnosis. If a patient exhibits respiratory compromise with difficult ventilation and poor lung expansion, despite the insertion and management of an intercostal drain following high-energy blunt trauma, there should be a heightened suspicion of potential airway trauma. The aim of primary repair is to restore airway integrity and to minimize the loss of pulmonary parenchyma function. This case report discusses the rare clinical presentation of a patient with blunt trauma to the intrathoracic airway, the surgical management thereof, and his overall outcome. Although blunt traumatic injuries of the trachea are extremely rare and often fatal, early surgical intervention can potentially reduce the risk of mortality.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.22 no.6
• /
• pp.1070-1077
• /
• 1989

Traumatic injuries of the diaphragm are not an infrequent occurrence with rise in violence and increasing use of automobiles, more diaphragmatic injuries may be seen. Fifty cases from Severance hospital were reviewed of these there were 27 injuries secondary to blunt trauma and 23 penetrating injuries, and occurred commonly in male. In blunt trauma, right and left diaphragmatic injuries occurred equally. Chest X * ray were normal in 18 cases [36 %], a hemo-and/or pneumothorax was present in 22 cases [44 %], and only 12 cases[24 %] were diagnosed or suspected as diaphragmatic injuries preoperatively. Seventeen cases underwent thoracotomy alone, 19 cases required laparotomy only, and 14 had combined thoracotomy and laparotomy. There were 5 deaths [10 % mortality], and all deaths related to the severity of associated injuries. It was concluded that injuries of the diaphragm should be suspected in all patients with severe blunt torso trauma or penetrating injuries near the diaphragm.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.418-423
• /
• 1979

Chest injuries due to blunt trauma often result in severe derangements that lead to death. And we have to diagnose and treat the patients who have blunt chest trauma immediately and appropriately. A clinical analysis was made on 324 cases of chest injury due to blunt trauma experienced at department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University during 8-year period from 1972 to 1979. Of 324 patients of blunt chest injuries, there were 189 cases of rib fracture, 121 of hemothorax or/and pneumothorax, 108 of soft tissue injury of the chest wall only, 41 of lung contusion, 24 of flail chest, 13 of scapular fracture, 7 of diaphragmatic rupture and others. The majority of blunt chest injury patients were traffic accident victims and falls accounted for the next largest group of accidents. Chest injuries were frequently encountered in the age group between 3rd decade and 4th decade [60%] and 238 patients were male comparing to 86 of female [Male: Female = 3:1 ]. In the patients who have the more number of fractured ribs, the more incidence of intrathoracic injury and intraabdominal organ damage were found. The principal associated injuries were head injury on 58 cases, long bone fractures on 37, skull fractures on 12, pelvic fractures on 10, renal injuries on 6 and intraabdominal organ injuries on 5 patients. The principle of early treatment of chest injury due to blunt trauma were rapid reexpansion of the lung by closed thoracotomy which was indicated on 96 cases, but open thoractomy was necessary on 14 cases because massive bleeding, intrapleural hematoma and/or fibrothorax, or diaphragmatic laceration-On 15 cases who were young and have multiple rib fracture with severe dislocation delayed elective open reduction of the fractured ribs with wire was done on the purpose of preserving normal active life. The over all mortality was 2.8% [9 of 324 cases] due to head injury on 3 cases, massive bleeding on 2,wet lung syndrome, acute renal failure on 1 and septicemia on 1 patient.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.192-196
• /
• 2017

Purpose: Blunt injury accounts for 80-95% of renal injury trauma in the United States. The majority of blunt renal injuries are low grade and 80-85% of these injuries can be managed conservatively. However, there is a debate on the management of patients with high-grade renal injury. We reviewed our experience of renal trauma at our trauma center to assess management strategy for high-grade blunt renal injury. Methods: We reviewed blunt renal injury cases admitted at a single trauma center between August 2007 and December 2015. Computed tomography (CT) scan was used to diagnose renal injuries and high-grade (according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma [AAST] organ injury scale III-V) renal injury patients were included in the analysis. Results: During the eight-year study period, there were 62 AAST grade III-V patients. 5 cases underwent nephrectomy and 57 underwent non-operative management (NOM). There was no difference in outcome between the operative group and the NOM group. In the NOM group, 24 cases underwent angioembolization with a 91% success rate. The Incidence of urological complications correlated with increasing grade. Conclusions: Conservative management of high-grade blunt renal injury was considered preferable to operative management, with an increased renal salvage rate. However, high-grade injuries have higher complication rates, and therefore, close observation is recommended after conservative management.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.308-312
• /
• 1995

A 5-year retrospective study of 14 patients with diaphragmatic injuries revealed 9 blunt and 5 penetrating injuries. In the blunt trauma group, 7 were left and 2 were right side. The penetrating diaphragmatic wound consist of 3 left and 2 right sided. Sex ratio was 11: 3, with male predominanace. Preoperative diagnosis was possible in 9 cases and delayed diagnosis [greater than 24 hours occured in 5 cases.Simple chest X-ray was diagnostic or highly suggestive in 7 cases. 7 cases were diagnosed diaphragmatic injuries by computed tomography, fiuroscopy or by explorative operation. All of the cases had association injury. 11 cases of diaphragmatic ruptures were corrected through thoracotomy and 3 cases needed exploratory laparotomy. One death occured after operation due to associated injuries and respiratory failure. Blunt and penetrating diaphragmatic injuries remain a diagnostic challenge and associated injuries, delayed diagnosis determine the outcome.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.33 no.2
• /
• pp.124-127
• /
• 2020

Major bleeding caused by vascular injuries of the abdominal aorta or its branches after blunt trauma often leads to mortality or major morbidity. We report a case that lumbar artery injury following blunt trauma was spontaneously resolved without any surgical or interventional treatment. Lumbar artery injury after blunt trauma could be treated conservatively without surgical or interventional treatment in a selected case. When an aortic or its branch injury was suspicious, diagnostic angiograms in the setting of interventional treatment may be helpful to decide an appropriate treatment modality.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.35 no.1
• /
• pp.66-70
• /
• 2022

The spleen is the most commonly injured organ after blunt abdominal trauma. Nonoperative management (NOM) is the standard treatment for blunt splenic injuries in haemodynamically stable patients without peritonitis. Complications of NOM include rebleeding, new pseudoaneurysm formation, splenic abscess, and symptomatic splenic infarction. These complications hinder the NOM of patients with blunt splenic injuries. We report a case in which a large haemorrhagic fluid collection that occurred after angio-embolisation was resolved by percutaneous drainage in a patient with liver cirrhosis who experienced a blunt spleen injury.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.36 no.3
• /
• pp.242-248
• /
• 2023

Purpose: Blunt pancreatic trauma in pediatric patients is relatively rare, yet it is associated with high risks of morbidity and mortality This study aimed to review pediatric patients with blunt pancreatic trauma treated at a single center and provide treatment guidelines. Methods: This study included patients under the age of 18 years who visited our center's pediatric emergency department and were diagnosed with pancreatic injury due to abdominal trauma via radiological examination between January 2007 and December 2022. Patients' medical records were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Results: Among 107 patients with abdominal trauma, 14 had pancreatic injury, with a median age of 8.2 years (interquartile range, 3.1-12.3 years). Eight patients were male and six were female. The most common mechanism of injury was falls from a height and bicycle handlebars (four cases each). Six patients had associated injuries. Two patients had American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade I or II, eight had grade III, and four had grade IV or V injuries. Eight patients underwent surgical resection, and four were discharged with only an intervention for duct injuries. Conclusions: Patients with blunt pancreatic trauma at our center have been successfully treated with surgical modalities, and more recently through nonsurgical approaches involving active endoscopic and radiologic interventions.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2005

Background: Blunt thoracic trauma in children has a high morbidity and mortality. In this study, we assessed the significance of the injury pattern, mechanism and initial status in emergency department on severity and prognosis in pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients. Method: We retrospectively reviewed medical records and chest X-ray and CT images of 111 pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients from October 2000 to June 2005. Data recorded age, gender, season, injury mechanism, injury pattern, associated injury, length of hospital stay and cause of death. Result: Of all 111 patients, 68 patients were injured by motor vehicle accidents, 30 were falls, 5 were motorcycle accidents, 3 were sports accidents and 5 were miscellaneous. In thoracic trauma, single injury of lung contusion were 35 patients and 32 patients had multiple thoracic injuries. Hospital stay in school age group were longer than preschool age group. The causes of death were brain injury in 9, respiratory distress in 4, and hypovolemic shock in 2 patients. Emergently transfused and mechanically ventilated patients had higher mortality rates than other patients. Patients required emergency operation and patients with multiple thoracic injuries had higher mortality rates. Conclusion: In this study, patients with combined injury, emergency transfusion, mechanical ventilation, emergency operation, multiple injuries in chest X-ray had higher mortality rates. Therefore in these pediatric blunt thoracic trauma patients, accurate initial diagnosis and proper management is required.