Abstract

CASTELLANOS GONZALEZ, Juan Antonio et al. Behavior of the integral care of thoracic traumata in the "Miguel Enríquez" Hospital (2006-2008). Rev Cubana Cir [online]. 2011, vol.50, n.2, pp. 164-171. ISSN 1561-2945.

INTRODUCTION. Around the 15% of thoracic traumata require surgical intervention and the 85% may be treated using simple procedures including observation, thoracostomy tube and ventilator support. The aim of present paper was to analyze the clinical-epidemiologic behavior of integral care of thorax traumata for optimization. METHODS. An observational, retrospective and descriptive study was conducted in patients presenting with thoracic trauma seen in the "Dr. Miguel Enríquez" University Hospital between January, 2006 and December, 2008.Behavior of surgical activity was determined and the operation time from the arrival of patients to hospital until surgery was determined, as well as the appearance of complications, leading causes of traumata and the postoperative stay average. RESULTS. Most of patients were operated on between the 15 and the 20 minutes after arrival to hospital. The more frequent traumata were the cold steel wounds and the more frequent causes of surgery were the traumatic hemo-pneumothorax. The commonest complication was the hypovolemic shock during surgery in patients operated on after 15minutes of arrival to hospital. Most of patients had a postoperative course of 5 to10 days. CONCLUSIONS. Despite the high mortality rate provoked by the thoracic lesions, many patients may to be treated with conservative measures, by puncture or thoracic aspiration. Time is a decisive factor in the prognosis of the injured patients, and if now the "gold hour" marker is the excellence indicator, to its fulfilment, it is necessary the existence of a fast arrival to hospital, an immediate care in the emergence service including the abilities of the multidisciplinary staff facing to one of several injured at the same time, the availability of auxiliary diagnostic means, the fast preparation of operation theaters and the access to intensive care units very necessary for stabilization of patients.

Keywords : Thoracic trauma; integral care; complications.

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