Pneumonectomy following penetrating trauma with ECMO as postoperative support: case report - (Lung trauma and ECMO).

BACKGROUND: Penetrating thoracic injuries have a significant risk of morbi-mortality. Despite the advancements in damage control methods, a subset of patients with severe pulmonary vascular lesions and bronchial injuries persists. In some of these cases, post-traumatic pneumonectomy is required, and perioperative extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support may be required due to right ventricular failure and respiratory failure. CASE DESCRIPTION: A male was brought to the emergency department (ED) with a penetrating thoracic injury, presenting with massive right hemothorax and active bleeding that required ligation of the right pulmonary hilum to control the bleeding. Subsequently, he developed right ventricular dysfunction and ARDS, necessitating a dynamic hybrid ECMO configuration to support his condition and facilitate recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Penetrating thoracic injuries with severe pulmonary vascular lesions may need pneumonectomy to control bleeding. ECMO support reduces the associated mortality by decreasing the complications rate. A multidisciplinary team is essential to achieve good outcomes in severe compromised patients.

Delayed hemothorax following blunt thoracic trauma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Late hemothorax is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. The longest reported time interval between the traumatic event and the development of hemothorax is 44 days. CASE PRESENTATION: An elderly patient with right-sided rib fractures from chest trauma, managed initially with closed thoracostomy, presented with a delayed hemothorax that occurred 60 days after initial management, necessitating conservative and then surgical intervention due to the patient's frail condition and associated complications. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the clinical challenge and significance of delayed hemothorax in chest trauma, highlighting the need for vigilance and potential surgical correction in complex presentations, especially in the elderly.

Predictors of initial management failure in traumatic hemothorax: A prospective multicenter cohort analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic hemothorax is common, and management failure leads to worse outcomes. We sought to determine predictive factors and understand the role of trauma center performance in hemothorax management failure. METHODS: We prospectively examined initial hemothorax management (observation, pleural drainage, surgery) and failure requiring secondary intervention in 17 trauma centers. We defined hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention as thrombolytic administration, tube thoracostomy, image-guided drainage, or surgery after failure of the initial management strategy at the discretion of the treating trauma surgeon. Patient-level predictors of hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention were identified for 2 subgroups: initial observation and immediate pleural drainage. Trauma centers were divided into quartiles by hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention rate and hierarchical logistic regression quantified variation. RESULTS: Of 995 hemothoraces in 967 patients, 186 (19%) developed hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention. The frequency of hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention increased from observation to pleural drainage to surgical intervention (12%, 22%, and 35%, respectively). The number of ribs fractured (odds ratio 1.12 per fracture; 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.26) and pulmonary contusion (odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval 1.03-4.91) predicted hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention in the observation subgroup, whereas chest injury severity (odds ratio 1.58; 95% confidence interval 1.17-2.12) and initial hemothorax volume evacuated (odds ratio 1.10 per 100 mL; 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.16) predicted hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention after pleural drainage. After adjusting for patient characteristics in the logistic regression model for hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention, patients treated at high hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention trauma centers were 6 times more likely to undergo an intervention after initial hemothorax management failure than patients treated in low hemothorax management failure requiring secondary intervention trauma centers (odds ratio 6.18, 95% confidence interval 3.41-11.21). CONCLUSION: Failure of initial management of traumatic hemothorax is common and highly variable across trauma centers. Assessing patient selection for a given management strategy and center-level practices represent opportunities to improve outcomes from traumatic hemothorax.

Predictors of pleural complications in trauma patients undergoing tube thoracostomy: A prospective observational study.

OBJECTIVE: to identify variables related to pleural complications in patients undergoing tube thoracostomies due to traumatic injuries. METHOD: we conducted a prospective observational study from May/2019 to January/2021 including adult trauma patients submitted to tube thoracostomies after hospital admission. Patients undergoing thoracotomies as the initial treatment were not included. We excluded patients with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis during the hospitalization. Pleural complications were defined as clotted hemothorax, residual pneumothorax and empyema. Students t, Mann Whitneys, Chi square and Fishers exact test were used to compare variables between groups. We considered p<0.05 as significant. RESULTS: we analyzed 68 patients. The mean age was 36.0 + 12.6 years and 91.2% were male. The mean RTS and ISS were, respectively, 7.0 ± 1.6 and 15.9 ± 7.6. The most frequent trauma mechanism was stab wounds in 50.0%, followed by blunt trauma in 38.2%. The severity of thoracic injuries was stratified (AIS) as 2 (4.4%), 3 (80.9%), 4 (13.2%), e 5 (1.5%). Pleural complications happened in 14 (20.5%) patients, being clotted / residual hemothorax (11.8%), residual pneumothorax (4.4%), empyema (2.9%) and miscellaneous (1.4%). These patients were treated by thoracoscopy (5), thoracotomy (3), chest re-drainage (3) and clinical measures alone (3). There was a significant association between pleural complications with the time of permanence (p<0,001) and the necessity of relocation (p<0,001) of the drain. CONCLUSION: the predictors of pleural complications in this series were time of permanence and the necessity of relocation of the drain.

Managing tube thoracostomy with thoracic ultrasound: results from a randomized pilot study.

PURPOSE: Tube thoracostomy (TT) is a simple and a life-saving procedure; nevertheless, it carries morbidity, even after its removal. Currently, TT is managed and removed by chest X-ray (CXR) evaluation. There are limitations and these are directly linked to complications. The use of thoracic ultrasound (US) has already been established in the diagnosis of pneumothorax (PTX) and hemothorax (HTX); its use, in substitution of CXR can lead to improvement in care. Our aim is to evaluate the efficiency and safety of US in the management of TT. METHODS: Prospective and randomized study with patients requiring TT. They were divided in groups according to their thoracic injuries (PTX and HTX) and randomized into two groups according to TT management: US and CXR. Data collected included gender, age, mechanism of injury, days to TT removal, complications after TT removal and presence of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were randomized, of which 68.8% were male. The most frequent diagnosis was PTX, present in 37 cases. Median time for TT removal was 2.5 days in the US group and 4.9 in the control group (p = 0.009). The complication rate was 6.6%, with no morbidity in the US group. TT removal in patients with mechanical ventilation did not increase the incidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS: The use of US in the management is efficient and safe. It allows early TT removal regardless the cause of the thoracic injury.

Hallazgos tomográficos posoperatorios en pacientes con traumatismos torácicos / Tomographic postoperative findings in patients with thoracic trauma

Introducción: El trauma torácico se encuentra entre las primeras causas de muerte, fundamentalmente en personas jóvenes. Objetivos: Caracterizar a una población operada por traumatismos torácicos según variables clinicoepidemiológicas y describir los hallazgos tomográficos posquirúrgicos. Métodos: Se llevó a cabo un estudio observacional y descriptivo de 48 pacientes atendidos en el Servicio de Radiología del Provincial Clínico-Quirúrgico Docente Saturnino Lora de Santiago de Cuba, de enero del 2016 a diciembre del 2018, a los cuales se les realizó tomografía computarizada multidetector. Resultados: Los traumas torácicos predominaron en personas jóvenes del sexo masculino, asociadas fundamentalmente a acciones violentas que provocaron traumas abiertos. La contusión pulmonar resultó ser el hallazgo tomográfico inicial más frecuente, en tanto, el neumotórax persistente y el hemotórax coagulado constituyeron los hallazgos tomográficos más influyentes en la decisión de una reintervención quirúrgica. Conclusiones: La tomografía es un medio diagnóstico que permite una descripción detallada del estado posoperatorio de los órganos afectados, con un alto valor orientativo para decidir procedimientos quirúrgicos posteriores.

Introduction: The thoracic trauma is among the first causes of death, fundamentally in young people. Objectives: To characterize a population operated due to thoracic trauma according to clinical epidemiological variables and describe the postsurgical tomographic findings. Methods: An observational and descriptive study of 48 patients assisted in the Radiology Service of Saturnino Lora Teaching Clinical Surgical Provincial Hospital was carried out in Santiago de Cuba, from January, 2016 to December, 2018, to whom a multidetector computed tomography was carried out. Results: The thoracic traumas prevailed in young male people, fundamentally associated with violent actions that caused open traumas. The lung contusion was the most frequent initial tomographic finding, as long as, the persistent pneumothorax and the coagulated hemothorax constituted the most influential tomographic findings in the decision of a surgical reintervention. Conclusions: Tomography is a diagnostic means that allows a detailed description of the postoperative state in the affected organs, with a high orientative value to decide later surgical procedures.

Cirugía videoasistida en traumatismo de tórax / Video assisted thoracic surgery in thoracic trauma

El objetivo es discutir el manejo del hemotórax traumático con cirugía videoasistida (VATS) y una revisión de sus principales indicaciones. Se presenta el caso de un paciente con hemotórax por traumatismo penetrante. Inicialmente manejado con pleurostomía, evoluciona con persistencia del sangrado, por lo que se explora. Como hallazgo se encuentra una lesión de arteria torácica interna que se controla con clips de VATS. El paciente evoluciona estable, sin dolor, por lo que se da de alta al tercer día. El manejo quirúrgico preferido del traumatismo de tórax clásicamente ha sido la toracotomía, pero los abordajes mínimamente invasivos han ganado espacio gracias a su menor morbilidad asociada. Algunos de sus beneficios son el menor dolor en el posoperatorio, menor sangrado y menor tiempo operatorio. Algunas indicaciones validadas son el hemotórax retenido y la persistencia del sangrado, siempre que el paciente se encuentre hemodinámicamente estable y no haya sospecha de lesión cardíaca o de grandes vasos. Se concluye que la VATS es una técnica apropiada en casos seleccionados de hemotórax traumático, pero el abordaje de elección sigue siendo la toracotomía tradicional.

The objective is to discuss the use of video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in thoracic trauma and to review the most common indications. A young male with a hemothorax due to penetrating trauma is seen at the emergency department. Initial management with a pleural tube revealed persistence of bleeding so surgical exploration was performed. A lesion of the internal thoracic artery was found and controlled with VATS using laparoscopic clips. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course and was discharged home on the third day posterior to surgery. Usually, surgical management of thoracic trauma has been thoracotomy, but minimally invasive procedures have gained terrain in this area thanks to their lower morbility. Some benefits of these are less postoperative pain, less bleeding, and shorter surgical time. Its validated indications include retained hemothorax and persistent bleeding, but only if the patient is hemodinamically stable and cardiac or large vessel lesions are not suspected. As a conclussion, VATS is an appropriate technique for selected cases of traumatic hemothorax, but thoracotomy still remains as the prefered surgical approach.

Características clínicas y terapéuticas de pacientes con hemotórax traumático / Clinical and therapeutic characteristics of patients with traumatic hemothorax

Introducción: el hemotórax traumático constituye una enfermedad grave dentro de los traumas del tórax, con un número significativo de complicaciones. Objetivo: describir las características clínicas, epidemiológicas y quirúrgicas del hemotórax traumático. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo de una serie de casos, que incluyó a 236 pacientes con el diagnóstico de hemotórax traumático, atendidos en el servicio de Cirugía General del Hospital Provincial Saturnino Lora de Santiago de Cuba, desde enero de 2008 hasta diciembre de 2013. Fue aplicada la prueba chi cuadrado para identificar la asociación estadísticamente significativa entre variables de interés. Resultados: el sexo masculino predominó en los enfermos con una razón de 5 por 1 y la mayoría de ellos en edades comprendidas entre los 20 y los 39 años. La causa más frecuente de la lesión fue la herida por arma cortopunzante (62,3 por ciento), seguida de la contusión torácica (34,3 por ciento). El proceder quirúrgico más realizado fue la pleurotomía mínima (81,8 por ciento), el índice de complicación fue de 19,4 por ciento, predominando el hemotórax coagulado (23 pacientes). La mortalidad fue de un 3 por ciento. Conclusiones: el hemotórax traumático es característico de pacientes jóvenes en plena vida productiva. La pleurotomía mínima juega un rol básico en el tratamiento quirúrgico, excepto en los hemotórax medianos cuya cuantía sea cercana a los 1200 mL de sangre donde se recomienda evaluar la necesidad de toracotomía o videotoracoscopia según las condiciones del enfermo, con vista a disminuir complicaciones y mortalidad a causa de estas(AU)

Introduction: traumatic hemothorax is a serious disease in the group of thoracic traumas, with a significant number of complications. Objective: to describe the clinical, epidemiological and surgical characteristics of traumatic hemothorax. Method: a descriptive case-series study that included 236 patients with diagnosis of traumatic hemothorax, who went to the general surgery service of Saturnine Lora¨ Hospital of Santiago de Cuba from January 2008 to December 2013. The chi square test was applied to identify the statistically significant association among variables of interest. Results: males predominated at a ratio of 5 to 1 woman, most of them aged 20 to 39 years. The most frequent cause of the lesion was wound caused by sharp-edge weapons(62.3 percent), followed by the thoracic contusion (34.3 percent) and the most used surgical action was minimal pleurotomy (81.8 percent). The index of complication was 19.4 percent, mainly the coagulated hemothorax (23 patients). The mortality rate was 3 percent. Conclusions: traumatic hemothorax is common in young patients at full productive life. Minimal pleurotomy plays an important role in the surgical treatment, except for median hemotórax whose quantity is roughly 1200 ml of blood in which it is recommended to evaluate videoassisted thoracoscopy according to the patient´s health status, in order to decrease morbidity and mortality from these complications(AU)

[Gastro-bronchial fistula major complication of sleeve gastrectomy]. / Fístula gastrobronquial: complicación mayor de manga gástrica.

BACKGROUND: Gastrobronchial fistula is a rare complication in gastroesophageal surgical procedures. It is difficult to diagnose and handling is complex. Therefore, there have been developments for non-surgical alternatives to obliterate minor fistula mortality. Endoscopic treatment is an option for patients with small fistulas or in serious condition. CLINICAL CASE: A 38 year old woman with evidence of gastrobronchial fistula postoperated of gastric sleeve, diagnosed during the postoperative period due to clinical variegated was initially handled as infectious respiratory symptoms; once the fistulous path was established, the intention was to close the path using endoclips. However, adding hemopneumothorax, drainage tube placement and thoracotomy were required. It was decided to chose a prosthetic esophageal endoscopic management of polytetraflouroethylene and fibrin as last therapy, because the patient had systemic inflammatory response syndrome, with favorable response to endoscopic management. DISCUSSION: Bariatric surgery has shown satisfactory results, however, the complexity of the procedure favors severe complications such as the present case. Gastrobronchial fistulas represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge, this is considering from a conservative management to endoscopic procedures, as in our patient. CONCLUSION: Although gastrobronchial fistulas are a rare complication, the use of endoscopy in resolution should be a first class weapon in its management, since it offers a lower morbidity in a patient with habitual respiratory symptoms that are difficult to control, with satisfactory results in the medium and long term.

Hemotórax espontáneo en paciente con schwannoma de mediastino / Spontaneous hemothorax caused by a schwannoma of the posterior mediastinum

Background: Schwannomas are the most common neurogenic tumors of the posterior mediastinum. They are usually asymptomatic and the symptoms associated with them are chest pain, cough and dyspnea. Case report: We report a 36 years old female consulting in the emergency room due to sudden onset dyspnea. The imaging study confirmed the presence of a hemothorax secondary to a tumor of the posterior mediastinum, which was surgically excised. The pathological study reported a Schwannoma.

Introducción: El mediastino es un área anatómica que contiene estructuras y células pluripotenciales que pueden originar distintos tumores. Los Schwannomas son los tumores neurogénicos más comunes del mediastino posterior, se caracterizan por tener un crecimiento lento. A menudo son asintomáticos y se diagnostican como hallazgos radiológicos. Cuando son sintomáticos, lo más común es que presenten dolor torácico, tos y disnea. El hemotórax es una rara forma de manifestación. Caso clínico: Se presenta en este trabajo el caso de una mujer de 36 años, que ingresa al servicio de urgencia por un cuadro de disnea súbita. El estudio por imágenes confirma el diagnóstico de hemotórax, secundario a un tumor de mediastino posterior, el cual requiere cirugía. Anatomía patológica corrobora el diagnóstico presuntivo de Swchannoma de mediastino posterior. Conclusión: La cirugía es necesaria para poder resecar completamente el tumor y en el Schwannoma benigno es curativa.

Hemotórax traumático en un período de tres años / Traumatic hemothorax in a three-year period

Introducción: el trauma es en el mundo moderno una de las principales causas de morbilidad y mortalidad. Se estima que del 20 al 25 porciento de las muertes por trauma, son consecuencia de lesiones torácicas. Objetivo: describir el comportamiento del hemotórax traumático en un período de tres años. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo y tangencial del hemotórax traumático en el Hospital Docente Dr. Miguel Enríquez en un período de tres años. Se confeccionó una base de datos y se identificaron diferentes variables, que condujeron a un análisis porcentual de los datos obtenidos además se aplicó el estadígrafo chi cuadrado para establecer la significación de la distribución de las frecuencias observadas. Resultados: dentro de las lesiones torácicas el hemotórax traumático se presentó en 104 pacientes (57,7 porceinto). El 91,3 porciento correspondió al sexo masculino y el grupo etario más afectado fue el comprendido entre 20-30 años con 30 lesionados. Las heridas por arma blanca penetrante en tórax se presentaron en el 75 porciento de los casos, seguida por el trauma cerrado. El cuadro clínico que predominó fue el dolor torácico y disnea en 43 pacientes. Se realizó la pleurostomía mínima baja en el 98,5 porciento de los casos. Las complicaciones más frecuentes en relación con la lesión fueron el hemotórax coagulado (8 pacientes) seguido del derrame pleural y el shock hipovolémico. No se reportó mortalidad en nuestra serie. Conclusiones: la pleurostomía mínima baja sigue siendo el método quirúrgico más empleado en el hemotórax traumático reservando la toracotomía de urgencia para pacientes con indicaciones precisas(AU)

Introduction: trauma is considered one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the modern world. It is estimated that the 20-25 percent of deaths by trauma are consequences of thoracic lesions. Objective: to describe the behavior of traumatic hemothorax in a three-year period. Methods: a descriptive, retrospective and tangential study of traumatic hemothorax was conducted at Dr. Miguel Enriquez Teaching Hospital in a three-year period. A database was made and different variables were identified, which led to a percentage analysis of the obtained data. Chi2 was also applied to establish the importance of the distribution of the observed frequencies. Results: among the thoracic lesions, the traumatic hemothorax was present in 104 patients (57,7 percent). 91,3 percent were males and the most affected age group corresponded to 20-30 years with 30 injured patients. Penetrating thoracic wound with knife was present in 75 percen t of cases, followed by closed trauma. The predominant clinical manifestations were thoracic pain and dyspnea in 43 patients. Conclusions: Low minimal pleurostomy keeps being the most used surgical procedure for the traumatic hemothorax, reserving the urgent thoracotomy only for specific patients with precise indications(AU)

Trauma torácico: análise de 124 pacientes submetidos à toracotomia / Thoracic trauma: analysis of 124 patients who underwent thoracotomy

OBJETIVO: Analisar os pacientes submetidos à toracotomia para o tratamento de traumatismo torácico. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo por meio da análise de prontuários nos dois principais hospitais de referência para trauma em adultos desta cidade, por um período de cinco anos, interessando dados epidemiológicos, agente causal, indicações, tipo de incisão, classificação do escore anatômico do trauma, fatores prognósticos e a mortalidade. RESULTADOS: Foi analisado neste estudo 124 pacientes submetidos à toracotomia com idade média de 28 anos, tendo como o agente causal mais incidente a arma branca (68 por cento dos casos). A principal indicação da toracotomia foi hemotórax maciço com 50,7 por cento dos casos, seguido de choque cardiogênico ou hipovolêmico com 48,4 por cento. Ocorreram 28 óbitos (20,6 por cento), sendo que os pacientes com lesões de veia cava (cinco pacientes) e aorta (dois pacientes) tiveram uma mortalidade de 100 por cento. Observou-se uma maior mortalidade em pacientes com escore anatômico do trauma superior a 14 (p=0,004) e maior quantidade de sangue transfundido (p=0,090). CONCLUSÃO: O perfil do paciente que foi vítima de traumatismo torácico e submetido à toracotomia exploradora é o seguinte: jovem, do sexo masculino e vítima de trauma por arma branca. Os fatores que mais contribuíram para o êxito letal foram o elevado escore anatômico do trauma e a associação com lesões vasculares importantes, como da artéria aorta e veia cava.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze patients who underwent thoracotomy for the treatment of chest trauma in the City of Manaus. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study through analyzed records in the two main reference hospitals for trauma adults in this city during a period of 5 years. We considered for this study the epidemiological data, causal agent, type of incision, anatomical classification score of trauma, prognostic factors and mortality. RESULTS: We analyzed 124 patients who underwent thoracotomy with a mean age of 28 years. Stab wounds were the most common casual agent (68 percent). The main indication for thoracotomy was massive hemothorax with 50.7 percent of cases, followed by cardiogenic or hypovolemic shock with 48.4 percent. There were 28 deaths (20.6 percent). Patients with vena cava injuries (5 patients) and aorta lesions (2 patients) had 100 percent mortality rate. There was a higher mortality in patients with major index of trauma (p = 0004), and largest quantity of blood transfused (p = 0090). CONCLUSION: Thoracic trauma patients submitted to exploratory thoracotomy were young, males and victims of stab wound trauma. The most contributing death factors were the lethal anatomical score, more than 15 points, and the association with major vascular lesions, as the aorta and vena cava.

[Thoracic trauma: analysis of 124 patients who underwent thoracotomy]. / Trauma torácico: análise de 124 pacientes submetidos à toracotomia.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze patients who underwent thoracotomy for the treatment of chest trauma in the City of Manaus. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study through analyzed records in the two main reference hospitals for trauma adults in this city during a period of 5 years. We considered for this study the epidemiological data, causal agent, type of incision, anatomical classification score of trauma, prognostic factors and mortality. RESULTS: We analyzed 124 patients who underwent thoracotomy with a mean age of 28 years. Stab wounds were the most common casual agent (68%). The main indication for thoracotomy was massive hemothorax with 50.7% of cases, followed by cardiogenic or hypovolemic shock with 48.4%. There were 28 deaths (20.6%). Patients with vena cava injuries (5 patients) and aorta lesions (2 patients) had 100% mortality rate. There was a higher mortality in patients with major index of trauma (p = 0004), and largest quantity of blood transfused (p = 0090). CONCLUSION: Thoracic trauma patients submitted to exploratory thoracotomy were young, males and victims of stab wound trauma. The most contributing death factors were the lethal anatomical score, more than 15 points, and the association with major vascular lesions, as the aorta and vena cava.

Manifestações pleuropulmonares catameniais: relato de três casos / The pulmonary catamenial manifestations: three cases reports

As manifestações pulmonares catameniais apresentam-se de maneira variada. Podem ser identificadas como quadro de dor torácica, hidrotórax, hidropneumotórax ou pneumotórax, que acontecem durante o período menstrual. O pneumotórax catamenial, a manifestação mais freqüente, é um tipo pouco comum de pneumotórax espontâneo no qual há acúmulo recorrente de ar na cavidade torácica durante a menstruação. Foi descrito inicialmente em 1958 por Maurer et al. Incide principalmente entre a terceira e a quarta décadas de vida. Várias hipóteses são aventadas para explicar as possíveis causas dessa afecção. Também são várias as controvérsias acerca do tratamento mais adequado.

Toracotomías posteriores a pleurotomía mínima en el manejo del trauma penetrante torácico / Requirement of thoracotomy in penetrating chest trauma

El trauma en Chile es la primera causa de muerte en pacientes menores de 45 años, siendo el trauma penetrante torácico especialmente importante debido a su alta frecuencia en nuestro medio. Este es un estudio observacional censal descriptivo, en el cual se revisaron los libros de protocolo operatorio del Hospital Carlos Van Burén de Valparaíso, desde Diciembre de 1997 hasta enero del 2006, obteniendo el total de pacientes ingresados por trauma penetrante torácico a los que se les realizó pleurotomía mínima, siendo estos 203 pacientes. Se revisaron las fichas con el objetivo de determinar cuántos pacientes respondieron adecuadamente sólo con pleurotomía mínima y cuántos requirieron toracotomia de urgencia o electiva. Los resultados se describen en porcentajes obteniendo que del total de pacientes 92,6 por ciento corresponden a hombres y 7,39 por ciento corresponden a mujeres. De los 203 pacientes estudiados 10,8 por ciento requirieron toracotomia y 89,2 por ciento evolucionaron favorablemente sólo con pleurotomía mínima. La causa más frecuente de toracotomia fue el hemotórax masivo (50 por ciento), el cual fue manejado satisfactoriamente, siendo diagnosticado y tratado precozmente. El trauma penetrante torácico es más frecuente en el sexo masculino, sobre todo jóvenes, siendo la mayoría resueltos exitosamente con la pleurotomía mínima en la Unidad de Emergencias.

Background: Trauma is the first cause of death among subjects of less than 45 years of age in Chile. Penetrating chest trauma is common. Aim: To assess the need for thoracotomy among patients with penetrating chest trauma. Material and methods: Retrospective review of operative protocols of all tube thoracostomies performed in a General Hospital from 1997 to 2006. Results: In the study period, 275 protocols of tube thoracostomy were found and 72 had to be discarded. Therefore, 203 patients, aged 15 to 80 years (188 males), were included in the study. Eleven percent of patients required a surgical thoracotomy and the rest only required the tube thoracostomy. The most common reason to perform a thoracotomy was massive hemothorax in 50 percent of cases. Conclusions: Most cases of penetrating chest trauma occur in men and can be successfully treated with a tube thoracostomy.

Tractotomía pulmonar con ligadura vascular selectiva en un hemotórax masivo por fragmento costal libre / Pulmonary tractotomy using selective vascular ligation in a massive hemothorax caused by free costal fragment

Se presenta un paciente con un trauma de tórax por fractura doble de un arco costal, que dejó libre un segmento costal que actúa como fragmento agresor y produce un hemotórax masivo del hemitórax afecto. El objetivo es presentar un caso interesante no solo por su solución quirúrgica, estandarizada, sino por las características particulares de la lesión. El paciente fue operado de urgencia por presentar un cuadro de shock hipovolémico severo secundario a un hemotórax traumático masivo, que fue resultado de la herida penetrante del parénquima pulmonar por un fragmento costal libre que se incrustó en la parte superior de la cara costal del lóbulo inferior derecho, y a la sección de los vasos intercostales del arco costal fracturado. El tratamiento quirúrgico consistió en una tractotomía pulmonar con ligadura individual de los vasos intraparenquimatosos heridos y de los vasos intercostales. El caso resulta interesante no solo por la gravedad y emergencia de su atención, sino por las características de la lesión. Esta demostró que la fractura doble de un arco costal puede dar lugar a un fragmento costal libre que puede actuar como instrumento agresor mortífero al penetrar en el parénquima pulmonar luego de desprenderse de sus elementos de fijación, y actuar como agente lesivo. Se muestra, además, un procedimiento quirúrgico útil, de uso infrecuente en nuestro medio (tractotomía pulmonar) y que puede realizar todo cirujano entrenado(AU)

A patient is presented double with a thorax trauma by fracture of a costal arch that she left free a costal segment that acts like fragment aggressor and you/he/she produces a massive hemotórax of the hemitórax affection. The objective is to not present an interesting case alone for its surgical, standardized solution, but for the characteristics peculiar of the lesion. The patient was operated of urgency to present a square of shock secondary severe hipovolémico to a massive traumatic hemotórax that was been of the penetrating wound of the lung parénquima by a free costal fragment that was incrusted in the superior part of the costal face of the right inferior lobe, and to the section of the glasses intercostales of the fractured costal arch. The surgical treatment consisted on a lung tractotomía with individual bond of the glasses wounded intraparenquimatosos and of the glasses intercostales. The case is interesting not alone for the graveness and emergency of its attention, but for the characteristics of the lesion. This demonstrated that the double fracture of a costal arch can give place to a free costal fragment that can act like instrument murderous aggressor when penetrating in the lung parénquima after coming off of its fixation elements, and to act as prejudicial agent. It is shown, also, an useful surgical procedure, of uncommon use in our means (lung tractotomía) and that all trained surgeon can carry out(AU)

Experiencia en toracotomía abierta de urgencia en el hospital Antonio Lenín Fonseca durante los años 2000 a 2003 / Experience in toracotomía opened of urgency in the hospital Antonio Lenín Fonseca during the years 2000 to 2003

Los traumatismos torácicos que ameritan toracotomía abierta de urgencia se presentan con mucha mayor frecuencia en el sexo masculino. El promedio de es de 26 años, con la inmensa mayoría de los pacientes entre 15 ymayoría de los pacientes son procedentes de Managua, sin embargo, también se pacientes de otros departamentos del país y de otros hospitales de Managua. Fueron mas frecuentes las lesiones por arma blanca, las cuales duplicaron las lesiones a de fuego. La mayor parte de los pacientes son llevados a sala de operaciones sin realizarle ningún diagnostico de imagen o invasivo, basado en los hallazgos clínicos y condición hemodinámica del paciente. Cuando la condición del paciente lo permite, la radiografia de tórax es casi exclusivamente el único estudio de imagen realizado. No se realizan otros estudios especiales ni endoscópicos. La mayor parte de los pacientes acuden a la unidad hospitalaria dentro de la primera hora posterior que ocurrió la lesión. Se decide conducta quirúrgica abierta en primer lugar por encontrar datos de taponamiento cardiaco, seguido por hemotórax masivo y drenaje alto por la sonda lespués de toracotomía cerrado y observación inicial. Las vías de abordaje, en particular en lo referente al abordaje de lesiones cardiacas, no consideradas estándar por los autores de otros centros de trauma a nivel nacional. Las restantes, se abordan según el mecanismo y localización de la lesión conforme lo recomienda la literatura internacional. La indicación quirúrgica y lesiones sospechadas se relaciona bien con los hallazgos transoperatorios. El tratamiento quirúrgico de las lesiones es el recomendado por la literatura internacional, a excepción de las lesiones transfixiantes pulmonares, en las que se realiza Neumorrafia, siendo la recomendación actual realizar Tractotomía. El tiempo promedio de ventilación mecánica, estancia en UCI y estancia hospitalaria total son similares a las reportadas en otras series. Las causas de morbilidad y mortalidad no tienen diferencias remarcables de las reportadas en otras series

Thoracic endometriosis syndrome in Jamaica.

Thoracic endometriosis syndrome (TES) is a rare presentation of systemic endometriosis. An unusual cluster of patients from the Caribbean who were treated at a single hospital during the year 2001 is presented. All patients were managed surgically in the acute phase, with satisfactory results. The etiology and management of TES has been controversial. A therapeutic approach that includes aggressive surgery to obliterate the pleural space combined with a course of hormonal suppression offers the best chance of cure for these patients.