• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• 제34권4호
• /
• pp.288-293
• /
• 2021

In South Korea, most patients who visit trauma centers with abdominal injuries have blunt trauma, and penetrating injuries are relatively rare. In extremely rare cases, some patients are admitted with a long object penetrating their abdomen, and these injuries are referred to as abdominal impalement injuries. Most cases of impalement injuries lead to fatal bleeding, and patients often die at the scene of the accident. However, patients who survive until reaching the hospital can have a good prognosis with optimal treatment. A 68-year-old female patient was admitted to the trauma center with a 4-cm-thick tree branch impaling her abdomen. The patient was transported by a medical helicopter and had stable vital signs at admission. The branch sticking out of the abdomen was quite long; thus, we carefully cut the branch with an electric saw to perform computed tomography (CT). CT revealed no signs of major blood vessel injury, but intestinal perforation was observed. During laparotomy, the tree branch was removed after confirming that there were no vascular injuries, and enterostomy was performed because of extensive intestinal injury. After treating other injuries, the patient was discharged without any complications except colostomy. Abdominal impalement injuries are treated using various approaches depending on the injury mechanism and injured region. However, the most important consideration is that the impaled object should not be removed during transportation and resuscitation. Instead, it should only be removed after checking for injuries to blood vessels during laparotomy in an environment where injury control is possible.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• 제36권3호
• /
• pp.295-297
• /
• 2023

Penetrating gallbladder injuries are uncommon in the pediatric population. The treatment varies according to the severity of the injury and the patient's hemodynamics. We present the case of an 11-year-old male with an accidental pellet gunshot wound to the right upper abdomen that resulted in a grade III liver laceration and damage to the anterior gallbladder wall. The patient underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy with drain placement. Postoperative radiography of the surgical specimen confirmed the presence of the pellet in the gallbladder. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged home on postoperative day 3. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is a feasible treatment option for penetrating gallbladder injuries in hemodynamically stable patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제10권2호
• /
• pp.337-342
• /
• 1977

A clinical analysis was performed on 383 cases of chest injurjes experienced at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital during 21 year period from 1957 to 1977. Of 383 patients of chest injuries, 209 cases were result from nonpenetrating injuries whereas 175 were from penetrating injuries, and there were 258 cases of hemothorax or/and pneumothorax, 162 of rib fracture, 33 of foreign body, 26 of clavicle fracture, 26 of lung contusion, 17 of diaphragmatic laceration, 14 of hemopericardium, 14 of flail chest and others. Stab wound was the most common in penetrating injuries and followed by gunshot and shell fragments. The majority of nonpenetrating chest injury patients were traffic accident victims. and fails accounted for the next largest group of accidents. Chest injuries were frequently encountered in the age group between 16 and 50 years, and 321 patients were male comparing to 62 of female. In blunt chest injuries the patients with five or more rib fractures had a 85 per cent incidence-of intrathoracic injury and 19 per cent had an intraabdominal organ damage, whereas those with four or less rib fractures had a 69 per cent and a 6 per cent incidence respectively. The principal associated injuries were cerebral contusion on 19 cases, renal contusion on 10, liver laceration on 7, peripheral vessel laceration on 5, spleen laceration on 3 and extremity fracture on 18 patients. The principles of therapy for early complications of chest trauma were rapid reexpansion of the lungs by thoracentesis [46 cases] and closed thoracotomy [125 cases] but open thoracotomy .had to be done on 90 cases [23-5%] because of massive bleeding or intrapleural hematoma, foreign body, cardiac injury, diaphragmatic laceration and bronchial rupture. The over all mortality was 2.87 per cent [11 among 383 cases], 8 cases were from penetrating injuries and 3 from nonpenetrating injuries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제17권1호
• /
• pp.110-117
• /
• 1984

A clinical evaluation was performed on 76 cases of chest injury experienced at department of Chest Surgery, Capital Armed Forces General Hospital during the past 3 years period from January 1981 to August 1983. 1.The most common cause of the chest trauma was gun shot by which 26 cases were injured among 44 cases [57.9%] of penetrating injury. Remaining 32 cases [42.1%] were injured by non-penetrating blunt trauma. 2.Hemopneumothorax was observed in 60 cases [78.9%], those were caused by both penetrating [65%] and non-penetrating [35%] injuries. 3.Rib fracture was found in 58.7% of total cases and with rib fracture, clavicle fracture was combined at 19.6% and sternal fracture, at 8.7%. 4.Most common symptoms were chest pain and dyspnea, and most common signs were breath sound diminution and subcutaneous emphysema. 5.Common site of rib fracture was from 4th rib to 8th rib [69.4%]. 6.In 58 cases [76.3%], patients were treated with operation including open thoracotomy [25 cases]. 7.Overall mortality was 5.3%[4 cases] and causes of death were septic shock and respiratory failure.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제25권9호
• /
• pp.968-975
• /
• 1992

A clinical analysis was performed on 404 cases of the chest trauma who were admitted and treated at department of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Chung Ang University, Yong San Hospital during the past 8 years from July 1984 to April 1992. The results were as follows. 1. The sex ratio was 3: 1 with male predominence. 2. The common age groups were 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th decades. 3. The most common chief complaint was chest pain[58.2%]. 4. Of 404 cases of chest trauma, 50 cases were resulted from penetrating injuries whereas 354 cases were from non penetrating injuries. The most common cause of the non penetrating injuries was traffic accident[234/354, 66.1%] and of the penetrating injuries were stab wound[47/50, 94%]. 5. The left thorax was the preferred site of chest trauma. 6. The range of hospital stay was from less than 1 week to over 6 weeks and the average duration was about 2 weeks. 7. The common chest trauma was rib fracture[51.6%] and others were simple contusion [18.8%], hemothorax[14.6%], hemopneumothorax[14.9%] and pneumothorax[8.7i]. The rib fracture was prevalent between 4th to 9th rib laterally. 8. There were 92 cases of associated injuries which were bone fracture[66/92, 71.7%], head injury[17/92, 18.5%] and abdominal injury[9/92, 9.8%]. 9. The methods of treatment were conservative management[58.6%], closed tho-racostomy[23.3%], open thoracotomy[3.4%] and others. 10. There were 28 cases[6.9%] of complication, such as pneumonia, atelectasis, emp-yema, respiratory failure and others. 11. The overall mortality was 2.5%[10 cases] and causes of death were hypovolemic shock, acute renal failure, adult respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and multiple organ failure.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• 제34권2호
• /
• pp.112-118
• /
• 2021

Purpose: Negative laparotomy in patients with abdominal penetrating injuries (APIs) is associated with deleterious outcomes and unnecessary expense; however, the indications for laparotomy in hemodynamically stable patients with ambiguous computed tomography (CT) findings remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with negative laparotomy. findings Methods: Data of patients who underwent laparotomy for APIs between 2011 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who presented with definite indications for laparotomy were excluded. The patients were dichotomized into negative and positive laparotomy groups, and the baseline characteristics, laboratory test results, and CT findings were compared between the groups. Results: Of 55 patients with ambiguous CT findings, 38 and 17 patients were assigned to the negative and positive laparotomy groups, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to the baseline characteristics or the nature of the ambiguous CT findings. However, the laboratory test results showed that there was a difference in the percentage of neutrophils between the groups (negative: 55.6% [range 47.4-66.1%] vs. positive: 79.8% [range 77.6-88.2%], p<0.001), although the total white blood cell count was not significantly different. The mean duration of hospital stay for the negative laparotomy group was 13.1 days, and seven patients (18.4%) experienced complications. Conclusions: Diagnostic factors definitively indicative of laparotomy were not identified, although the percentage of neutrophils might be helpful. However, routine laparotomy in patients with peritoneal injuries could result in instances of negative laparotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제24권11호
• /
• pp.1115-1124
• /
• 1991

Recently the thoracic injuries have been markedly increasing due to the vast increase of traffic accident, industrial disaster, and incidental accident as well as the frequent use of the murderous weapons including gun or rifle. Because the thoracic injuries could involve the heart, lung, and great vessels, and would influence the lives, prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential. Most of thoracic injuries can be managed with the conservative treatment and simple surgical procedure such as closed thoracostomy, but certain cases require open thoracotomy to preserve lives and to return to their normal environment. The authors have analysed the result of 53 cases of open thoracotomy after thoracic injuries mainly according to the patient`s chart review. The mean age was 33.4 years old and male to female ratio was about 5: l. Injury mechanisms that elicited thoracic trauma indicated for open thoracotomy were penetrating[47%] and non-penetrating[53%] injuries. The Most common type of the thoracic lesion was hemothorax with or without pneumothorax and diaphragm rupture was the second. 58\ulcornero of thoracic injuries were accompanied by abdominal injuries and 47% by bone fractures. 34 patients were operated within 24 hours after injury and their average elapsed time was 13.6 hour. The remained patients were operated after 24 hours and their average elapsed time was 7.8 days. 71 cases of operative procedures containing some overlappings were performed: diaphragm repair[28], bleeding control[12], pulmonary and cardiac repair[4 cases] Postoperative complication rate was 32.1% and operative mortality rate was 9.4%[5/53].

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제27권2호
• /
• pp.148-152
• /
• 1994

We have experienced 21 cases of traumatic diaphragm injury between October, 1989 and September, 1993. Of these patients, 17 cases were caused by blunt trauma and 4 by penetrating injury. Among 17 blunt traumas, 10 cases developed at left side, 6 at right and 1 at central subpericardial diaphragm, and among penetrating injuries, 3 cases developed at right side and 1 at left. Overall mortality rate was 21% and one due to blunt trauma was 29%. Initial hypotension was a predisposing factor to presume future death. When associated injuries involved 4 or more organs, mortality rate was high.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• 제20권4호
• /
• pp.715-722
• /
• 1987

A clinical analysis was performed on 823 cases of the chest trauma experienced at department of thoracic & cardiovascular surgery, Kyung Hee University Hospital during the past 8 years from Jan, 1978 to Aug. 1986. 1. the ratio of male to female patient of the chest trauma was 3:1 in male predominance. 2. The common age groups were 3rd, 4th and 5th decades. 3. The most common causes of the chest trauma was traffic accidents [79.8%] were injured due to non-penetrating injuries and the remainders [166/823, 20.2%] were injured due to penetrating injuries 4. The frequently injured site of the chest trauma was left side of the chest [46%], and the right side was 42% 5. The most common injury from non-penetrating trauma was rib fracture [77.5%], and the incidence rate of flail chest was 59% of all cases of rib fractures. 6. The incidence rate of hemopneumothorax was 42.9% in non-penetrating traumas, and 84.3% in penetrating traumas. 7. The most common method of surgical treatment was closed tube thoracostomy [37.3%], and open thoracotomy was performed in 71 cases [8.6%]. 8. the overall mortality was 2.2%, and common causes of death were cerebral damage, respiratory insufficiency, and hypovolemic shock.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
• /
• 제32권4호
• /
• pp.210-219
• /
• 2019

Purpose: Traumatic diaphragmatic injury (TDI) is no longer considered to be a rare condition in Korea. This study investigated differences in the prevalence of accompanying injuries and the prognosis in patients with traumatic diaphragmatic damage according to the mechanism of injury. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with TDI who were seen at a regional emergency medical center from January 2000 to December 2018. Among severe trauma patients with traumatic diaphragmatic damage, adults older than 18 years of age with a known mechanism of injury were included in this study. Surgery performed within 6 hours after the injury was sustained was defined as emergency surgery. We assessed the survival rate and likelihood of respiratory compromise according to the mechanism of injury. Results: In total, 103 patients were analyzed. The patients were categorized according to whether they had experienced a penetrating injury or a blunt injury. Thirty-five patients had sustained a penetrating injury, and traffic accidents were the most common cause of blunt injuries. The location of the injury did not show a statistically significant difference between these groups. Severity of TDI was more common in the blunt injury group than in the penetrating injury group, and was also more likely in patients with respiratory compromise. However, sex, the extent of damage, and the initial Glasgow coma scale score had no significant relationship with severity. Conclusions: Based on the findings of this study, TDI should be recognized and managed proactively in patients with blunt injury and/or respiratory compromise. Early recognition and implementation of an appropriate management strategy would improve patients' prognosis. Multi-center, prospective studies are needed in the future.