• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.801-806
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• 1995

Tracheal rupture by a blunt trauma is an uncommon injury, and its clinical presentations are variable. It is a kind of the modern hazard. Herewith, we report a successful management of the tracheal rupture. A 22 year-old female was transferred from other hospital 4 hours after a car crash. Physical examination, simple chest X-ray, Chest CT and fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed rupture of the membranous portion of the trachea about 5cm in length extending to the right main bronchus. Ruptured membraous portion of the trachea was sutured directly with absorbable suture. Her postoperative course was uneventful, and follow-up fiberoptic bronchoscopy revealed intact membranous portion of the trachea.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.604-609
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• 1998

Trauma to the thorax represents a significant portion of injuries seen in an inner-city emergency room. Although most of these patients may be sucessfully managed without thoracotomy, a certain percentage requires operative intervention either immediately or within several hours. 126 records of patients who had early thoracotomy for chest trauma from March 1986, to June 1997, in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Masan Samsung General Hospital were reviewed. There were 96 males and 30 females whose ages ranged from 4 to 72 years, with a mean age of 32.8 years. The modes of injury were as follows : stab wounds, 55 cases(44%), blunt trauma, 70 cases(55%), and gunshot wound, 1 case(1%). Immediate operation was performed in 105 cases(84%) and delayed operation in 21 cases(16%). Indications that operation was necessary were hemorraging and shock in 66 cases(52%), cardiac tamponade in 27 cases(21%), and rupture of the diaphragm in 33 cases(27%). Most of these patients were sucessfully treated but 21 cases were resulted in death. The mortality rate was 16.6% and common causes of death were irreversible shock and hypoxia.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.454-459
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• 2002

Clinical analysis of the relation between the clinical data of chest trauma patients and bone scan results was done to investigate the sensitivity and specificity of bone scan for the diagnosis of rib or chondral fracture. Material and Method： 445 patients treated due to chest trauma in Dongguk University Kyungju Hospital from July 1998 to December 2001 were studied. Age and sex distribution, causes of chest trauma, interval from the injury to arrival at hospital, final diagnosis, relationship between the chest pain and bone scan results, relationship between local tenderness and bone scan results, and sensitivity and specificity of bone scan were studied. Result： The male was 61.6% and the female was 38.4%. Age distribution was nearly even from the twenties to the sixties. The traffic accident was the most common cause of chest injury(60.4%). Most patients(76.6%) were arrived to the hospital within 6 hours after chest trauma. Rib fracture was the most common final diagnosis(46.5 %). The relationship between the duration of chest pain and tenderness and the bone scan results were significant, and the same in the relationship between the duration of local tenderness and the bone scan results, but the latter is more significant. The sensitivity of bone scan was 99.4% and the specificity was 90.4%. Conclusion： If the patient complains the chest pain continuously and the local tenderness around the chest is continued over 3 weeks, it is good to perform the bone scan. Further study including the MRI may be helpful for more evaluation in chest trauma patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.616-624
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• 1991

Recently, cardiac injury due to blunt thoracic trauma appears to be increasing in frequency. The rising incidence of this mishap may relate to the absolute increase in automobile accidents as well as to more universal recognition that cardiac damage may have been sustained. We have experienced a rare case of ventricular septal defect caused by non-penetrating thoracic trauma. Of further interest is the history of chest trauma, clearly resulting in rupture of the chordae tendineae of the tricuspid valve successfully treated by operation-re-placement with two, 6 - 0, double-armed, expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sutures-2 months later. The unique combination of ventricular septal defect and rupture of the chordae tendineae of the tricuspid valve secondary to non-penetrating thoracic trauma is presented below to emphasize another variety of cardiac injury.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.944-949
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• 1993

Clinical analysis were performed on 247 cases of thoracic trauma, those were admitted & treated at the department of thoracic & cardiovascular surgery,Hanyang University Hospital during the period from Jan,1989 to June,1992. Age distribution of those was from 2 to 80 years old & mean age was 38 years old. The ratio of male to female patient was 186:61 [3:1].This ratio revealed high incidence in male patient. The most common cause of trauma was traffic accident in this series.The modes of injury were as follows: traffic accident 124 cases[50.2%],fall down 52 cases[21.05%], stab wound 47 cases[19.03%] and gun-shut wound 1 case.Ellapse time from accident to admission were 141 cases [57.09%] under 6 hr.Rib fracture were observed in 159 cases[64.37%], hemo or pneumothorax were observed 134 cases[54.25%] of total cases and location distributed Right:Left:Both[74:112:37], in left predominant. Conservative,non-operative treatment were performed in 128 cases and operation[open thoracotomy] 32 cases.Mortality was 1.6%[4 cases] & most common cause of death were due to irreversible shock with brain edema. Conclusively, more evaluation & co-operation of other department were expected treatment & better prognosis.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.1-4
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• 2009

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the length of the catheter used in a needle thoracostomy for emergency decompression of a tension pneumothorax by measuring the chest wall thickness (CWT) in patients with chest trauma Methods: A retrospective review of 201 patients with chest trauma who had been transported the emergency department in a tertiary university hospital in a metropolitan area between 1 January and 31 February 2007 was performed. The average CWT at the second intercostal space (ICS) in the midclavicular line (MCL) was measured by using a chest computed tomography scan. Results: As the left and the right mean CWTs were $3.4{\pm}1.0cm$ and $3.4{\pm}1.0cm$, respectively, there was no significant statistical difference between them. The mean CWT of female patients was significantly higher than that of male patients (p=0.001). The mean CWT of patients under the age of 65 years was significantly thicker than that of the patients over the age of 65 years (p<0.001). Of the studied patients, 12 (6.0%) a CWT > 5 cm. Conclusion: A 5 cm-length catheter in a needle thoracostomy may be insufficient for emergency decompression of a tension pneumothorax, so a catheter longer than 5 cm in length is needed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.361-365
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• 2016

Background: Sternal fractures are relatively rare, and caused mainly by blunt anterior chest wall trauma. In most cases, sternal fractures are treated conservatively. However, if the patient exhibits problematic symptoms such as intractable chest wall pain or bony crepitus due to sternal instability, surgical correction is indicated. But no consensus exists regarding the most appropriate surgical method. We analyzed the results of surgical fixation in cases of sternal fracture in order to identify which surgical method led to the best outcomes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with sternal fractures from December 2008 to December 2011, and found 19 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the sternum with a longitudinal plate (L-group) or a T-shaped plate (T-group). We investigated patients' characteristics, clinical details regarding each case of chest trauma, the presence of other associated injuries, the type of open reduction and fixation, whether a combined operation was performed, and postoperative complications. Results: Of the 19 patients, 10 patients (52.6%) were male, and their average age was 56.8 years (range, 32 to 82 years). Seven patients (36.8%) had isolated sternal fractures, while 12 (63.2%) had other associated injuries. Seven patients (36.8%) were in the L-group and 12 patients (63.2%) were in the T-group. Three patients in the L-group (42.9%) showed a loosening of the fixation. In all patients in the T-group, the fracture exhibited stable alignment. Conclusion: Open reduction and internal fixation with a T-shaped plate in sternal fractures is a safer and more efficient treatment method than treatment with a longitudinal plate, especially in patients with a severely displaced sternum or anterior flail chest, than a longitudinal plate.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.79-85
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• 1996

A clinical evaluation was performed on 305 cases of chest trauma experienced at the department of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Dae Jeon Eul Ji Hospital, during the period from March 1991 to November 1994. Age distribution was from 4 to 85 years, the mosts common age groups were 4-th, 5th and 6th decades. The ratio of male to female was 229:76(3:1), the ratio showed male predominance, the most common cause of trauma was traffic accidents in nonpenetrating trauma and stab wounds in penetrating trauma. Hemothorax, pneumothorax, and hemopneumothorax were observed in 159 cases (52.1 %) of total cases, Rib fracture was observed in 236 cases (77.4%) of total cases, location distribution was right : left : Both (102 : 142 : 45), with left predominant, rib fracture commonly involved from the 3th to 8th rib. Lag period from accident to admission was 155 cases (50.8%) under 6hr The principles of therapy for early complications of chest trauma were rapid r expansion of the lungs by thoracentesis 5 cases(1.6%) and closed thoracostomy 1-42 cases(46.6%), but open thoracotomy had to be done on 17 cases (5.6%) because of massive bleeding 13 cases or ruptured diaphragm, foreign body. Conservative nonoperative treatment was 140 cases (45.9%). Overall mortality rate was Bcases (2.6%) and common causes of the death were respiratory insufficiency and shock.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.119-124
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• 1975

This is a case report of the rupture of the trachea and the esophagus following external blunt trauma without any associated injury. A 7 year old male patient was brought to the emergency room. Hanyang University Hospital, on 23 Jul, 1974 while he played under the pile of pingpong table A table was fall down over the patient accidentally. The patient was injured by the table and found lying in unconsciousness on the ground.There was subcutaneous emphysema on his anterior chest and neck. A contusion on the upper part of the sternum was noted. The breathing sound were diminished over the left side of the chest. Ronchi were heard over the right lung field. This patient was suffered from vomiting, dypsnea, and irritable mental state after this accident. On the chest roentgenogram in A-P view, hyperlucency at the mediastinum and parapericardiac area suggested the pneumomediastinum. On the next day, a diagnosis of the tracheal and esophageal rupture was confirmed by the esophagogram with Lipiodol swallowing. A right thoracotomy was performed and ruptured orifice of the trachea and the esophagus were closed with interrupted sutures. Postoperative course was uneventful and primary closure of the rupture of the trachea and the esophagus were succeeded.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.533-536
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• 1997

We report a successful repair of severe traumatic tricuspid regurgitation by PTFE chordal replacement and ring annuloplasty. A 64-year-old man with multiple trauma was referred to our department because of cardiomegaly on chest roentgenogram. Echocardiography showed moderate amount of pericardial effusion and severe tricuspid regurgitation with rupture of anterior papillary muscle. But he experienced progressive dyspnea, and chest roentgenogram showed pro ressive cardiomegaly. He underwent operation 4 months after trauma. The nterior papillary muscle was reinserted, and the valve was repaired by PTFE chordal replacements and ring annuloplasty. Postoperatively, the patient's functional status was improved, and there was trivial tricuspid regurgitation on echocardiographic examination.