AIM:To report on the causes of trauma, indexes of trauma, and mortality related to thoracic trauma in one region of Brazil.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This prospective study was performed at the Regional Trauma Center in São José do Rio Preto over a 1-year period, from 1st July 2004 to 30th June 2005. We included all patients attending the center's emergency room with thoracic trauma and an anatomic injury scale (AIS) ≥ 2. We collected data using a protocol completed on arrival in hospital utilizing the AIS. We studied the types of accidents as well as the mortality and the AIS scores. Prevalence rates were calculated and the paired t-test and logistic regression were employed for the statistical analysis.RESULTS:There were a total of 373 casualties with AIS ≥ 2 and there were 45 (12%) deaths. The causes of thoracic trauma among the 373 casualties were as follows: 91 (24.4%) car crashes, 75 (20.1%) falls, 46 (12.3%) motorbike accidents, 40 (10.7%) stabbings, 22 (5.9%) accidents involving pedestrians, 21 (5.6%) bicycle accidents, 17 (4.6%) shootings, and 54 (14.5%) other types of accident. The severity of the injuries was classified according to the AIS: 224 (60%) were grade 2, 101 (27%) were grade 3, 27 (7.2%) were grade 4, 18 (4.9%) were grade 5, and 3 were (0.8%) grade 6. With respect to thoracic trauma, pedestrians involved in accidents and victims of shootings had mortality rates that were significantly higher than that of those involved in other types of accidents.CONCLUSION:Road accidents are the main cause of thoracic injury, with accidents involving pedestrians and shootings being associated with a greater death rate.

Background and aim:The aim of this study was to evaluate if loss of consciousness at the scene of an accident in patients with thoracic trauma classified by the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) as thorax >2 has a different outcome in respect to immediate hospital discharge, hospitalization, death and type of accident.Methods:A prospective study was performed in the Regional Trauma Center of São José do Rio Preto. All patients with scores related to thoracic injury ≥2 were included in this study. Thus, 134 patients with penetrating and 231 with blunt thoracic injuries were evaluated. The chi-square, Fisher's exact and relative risk tests were utilized for statistical analysis with an alpha error greater than 5% (p < 0.05) being considered statistically significant. Results:A significantly higher number of patients who lost consciousness (35–33.9%) died compared to those who did not lose consciousness (9–3.5%, Fisher's exact test: p < 0.0001) where the relative risk (RR) of death when an individual lost consciousness was 9.7 (95% CI: 4.8–19.4). In respect to the necessity of hospital treatment, those who lost consciousness were more commonly hospitalized (Fisher's exact test: p < 0.0001). Conclusion:The loss of consciousness at the time of trauma is a warning sign in patients with thoracic injuries whether associated with other types of injuries or not.

Background: In more than half of cases of chest trauma, patients also have head injuries, abdominal injuries or polytrauma. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare open and closed treatment for chest injuries according to mortality, hospitalization, trauma indices and physiological data. Method: Three hundred sixty-seven patients (293 males and 74 females) with an Anatomic Injury Scale (AIS) score of 2 or more for thoracic trauma were evaluated. The following aspects were evaluated associations between treatment (open and closed) for chest injury, discharge from hospital, hospitalization and death, Trauma indices Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Injury Severity Score (ISS) and TRISS, Blood pressure, diastolic pressure, respiratory rate and pulse. Results: No significant associations were found between the type of treatment (open or closed procedure) and discharge from hospital, hospitalization or death (p = 0.3).No significant associations were found between the type of treatment (open or closed procedure) and the trauma indices, blood pressure, pulse or respiratory rate.