Background

chest trauma is a complex clinical picture that can compromise the patient's life. Therefore, its study and analysis is of interest.

Objective

to characterize patients with chest trauma in the General Surgery service.

Methods

descriptive, prospective, case series study which included patients admitted with a diagnosis of chest trauma, in the General Surgery Service at the Dr. Gustavo Aldereguía Lima General University Hospital, Cienfuegos, from January 2019 to December2020. The analyzed variables were: age, sex, comorbidities, imaging tests, causal agent, chest injury, type of treatment, type of chest trauma, and discharge status.

Results

chest trauma was more frequent in males, from the fourth decade of life in healthy patients. The most used imaging test was the simple chest X-ray; and the predominant causal agent, the stab wound. The most frequent chest injuries were subcutaneous emphysema and hemopneumothorax, and pleurostomy was the most used type of treatment. Isolated chest trauma prevailed, with abdominal injuries being the most associated. Most of the patients were discharged alive.

Conclusion

thoracic trauma constitutes a highly challenging pathology, due to how complex the injuries derived from it can become; It occurs more frequently in healthy men. When associated with other injuries, mortality increases.

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