Abstract
Chest injuries in children are part of polytrauma resulting from high-energy violence, most often caused by traffic accidents. Blunt chest injuries (95%) are significantly more frequent than penetrating injuries (5%).
Lung contusion, rib fracture, pneumothorax or haemothorax, are the more common injuries, but tracheobronchial rupture, cardiac or diaphragmatic injuries may also occur. The anterior X-ray image remains the basic examination method for isolated chest injuries.
CT trauma scan with a contrast medium is done in polytraumatized children. Blunt injuries of intra-thoracic organs in haemodynamically stable children are treated mostly conservatively (85%) under full monitoring at the ICU.
Surgical treatment is necessary in a minority of patients. Mortality and morbidity of patients with chest injury depend on the actual combination of multiple body systems injury.
The severity of total injury can be predicted using objective scoring systems (Abbreviated Injury Scale=AIS; Injury Severity Score=ISS). Overall mortality ranges from 6 to 20%.
Mortality is high but this is mainly due to associated head injuries.