[Clinical results of four hundred and twenty-four cases with chest trauma].

BACKGROUND: In this retrospective study, we aimed to emphasize that thoracentesis is a fast and safe method to evaluate indication for thoracotomy in patients with thoracic trauma who have preshock or shock findings, without losing time by other examinations such as X - ray studies.

METHODS: File records of 424 patients who were admitted to Thoracic Surgery Deparments of Adiyaman State Hospital and Medical School of Yuzuncu Yil University between December 1994 and March 2002, were investigated.

RESULTS: There were 371(87,5%) male and 53 (12,5%) female patients, aged 5 to 89 (mean, 38,35). Most of the patients (n:382, 90%) were recovered by tube drainage and conservative management. There were 30 (7.1%) cases who underwent thoracotomy or median sternotomy. Nine patients underwent thoracotomy after being diagnosed by only thoracentesis without X - ray and 8 (89,9%) of them survived. The overall mortality was 2,8% (12 cases).

CONCLUSION: Diagnostic thoracentesis has to be one of the indications for emergency thoracotomy after prompt systemic physical examination in the approach to thoracic trauma patient.