Classification
Chest trauma can be classified as blunt or penetrating. Blunt and penetrating injuries have different pathophysiologies and clinical courses.
Specific types of chest trauma include:
- Injuries to the chest wall
- Chest wall contusions or hematomas.
- Rib fractures
- Flail chest
- Sternal fractures
- Fractures of the shoulder girdle
- Pulmonary injury (injury to the lung) and injuries involving the pleural space
- Pulmonary contusion
- Pulmonary laceration
- Pneumothorax
- Hemothorax
- Hemopneumothorax
- Injury to the airways
- Tracheobronchial tear
- Cardiac injury
- Pericardial tamponade
- Myocardial contusion
- Traumatic arrest
- Blood vessel injuries
- Traumatic aortic rupture, thoracic aorta injury, aortic dissection
- And injuries to other structures within the torso
- Esophageal injury (Boerhaave syndrome)
- Diaphragm injury
Read more about this topic: Chest Trauma