Thoracic trauma in children.

Abstract

Thoracic trauma in children is an infrequent but potentially lethal injury often associated with coexisting significant injury to other systems. Most reports suggest that the incidence of chest trauma in the injured child is approximately 10%. The most frequently associated trauma is, unfortunately, to the central nervous system and is an unusually deadly combination of injuries. As such, the thoracic injuries serve as a reliable marker for injury severity in children, mandating meticulous evaluation of the child presenting with thoracic trauma. The diagnosis of the thoracic injury may be difficult on cursory clinical examination and supine chest radiograph, and a thorough and focused evaluation of the child's thoracic injuries is required to discover the extent and severity of these injuries. This is particularly important because most of the thoracic injuries that may be immediately life threatening may be expediently and easily treated in the emergency department during the primary survey phase of Advanced Trauma Life Support. But when the injuries are not suspected, diagnosed, and treated, the child's morbidity and mortality risk rises exponentially and approaches 50%. Many current published reports have concentrated on the overall epidemiology of childhood thoracic trauma in order to focus medical attention on the importance of thoracic trauma to medical planning. Much of the remaining pertinent clinical literature on thoracic trauma during the last several years has looked at particular markers of injury severity and on the recognition and management of the rare but morbid cardiovascular and tracheobronchial injuries. Each of these topics is reviewed, with particular attention to the recent literature over the past 12 months.