Blunt chest trauma had not been roundly studied in Nigeria. This study was conducted to determine the etiopathological and management challenges of chest trauma in a developing country. In a prospective multicenter hospital-based study of 10-years duration in the city of Lagos, the data of 896 patients were recorded. The male-to-female ratio was 8 : 1, and the mean age was 27.1 years. The majority of patients (76.9%) were aged 20-39 years. Road traffic accidents caused 98.1% of the injuries. Lung parenchymal injuries occurred in 66% of patients, and cardiac trauma in 0.1%. Isolated chest trauma was found in 85% of patients, and 134 had associated injuries. The incidence of blunt chest trauma could be reduced if the number of road traffic accidents in Nigeria is reduced.

Penetrating chest trauma occurs worldwide, and various accounts of it have been reported in the literature.(1)(-)(5) Blunt trauma is not usually associated with military or civilian violence, while penetrating chest trauma often is. Penetrating chest trauma is frequently caused by gunshots and non gunshot-related incidents such as stabs, traffic accidents, and impalements. This prospective study was conducted to determine a pattern of penetrating thoracic injuries, including their causes, the role of surgery, and intervention outcomes. In this study, we treated 168 patients (142 males and 26 females, giving a male-to-female ratio of 5.5:1). Gunshots caused 60.1% of the injuries while traffic accidents caused 27.3% of the injuries. Chest tube insertion alone was the main treatment initiated. This technique was used on 73.8% of the patients. To reduce the occurrence of penetrating chest trauma in Lagos, Nigeria, study results suggest that the Nigerian people and their property need greater security, and that pre-hospital level of care for trauma victims must improve.

Background: Chemical injuries of the oesophagus occur worldwide. There is paucity of information on aetiopathological profile of chemical injuries of the oesophagus in Nigeria.