XXXX . A review of 93 cases.

@entity1 @entity174 @entity75 @entity764 @entity130
A report is presented of 93 @entity1 referred for specialist management of @entity764 in the 5-year period 1973-1978. Penetrating @entity130 to the thorax had been sustained by 18 @entity1 and blunt @entity130 by 75. Falls and traffic accidents were the most common causes (32 and 35 cases). @entity174 were the most frequent lesions, and 10 of these 67 @entity1 had flail chest. Hemothorax and/or pneumothorax were found in four-fifths of the @entity1 . The diaphragm was torn in five cases. Three had lesions of the heart and/or pericardium and one @entity1 had a @entity75 . Closed pleural drainage was the most commonly used treatment. Thoracotomy was performed in 10 of the 93 @entity1 . The mortality rate in the series (10%) agreed with findings from other, similar studies.
