Management of Severe Chest Injury, Dodoma Referral Hospital Experience

Author(s):

Peter James Mbelle*, Kato Peleus, Andrew Maleko, Baraka Mponda, Aron Ndipo, Ernest Ibenzi, Bariki Kajange, Rimo Raymond and Idrisa Lukindo

Chest injuries continue to be major healthy surgical problem, worldwide the surgical admission and death related to penetrating and blunt chest injuries are estimated to be 10% and 25% respectively. It is life threatening condition and usually involves other anatomical area which can worsen the general condition of patients because of inflammatory response. In Tanzania the mortality related with chest injuries is estimated to be 40%. The common mechanism of injury being road traffic accidents, ire arms, falls, arrows, wild animal injuries, assaults etc. The injuries can involve thorax wall, lungs, mediastinum or diaphragmatic wounds. The common diagnosed conditions includes frail chest, fractured ribs, contused lung, hemothorax, pnemothorax, oesophageal rapture, tracheabronchial tree injury, diaphragmatic injury, cardiac injury, tension pneumothorax, open pneumothorax etc. Treatment of thoracic trauma depends on effective prioritization of management based on the principals of ABC with a rapid identi ication of severe injuries and aggressive surgical treatment of life threatening injuries.