ABSTRACT
Injuries to the chest are often serious, resulting in significant morbidity and prolonged stays in the intensive care unit (ICU). Several reasons account for the serious and debilitating nature of these injuries. First, trauma significant enough to injure internal organs, protected by the semirigid bony thorax, is typically quite severe. Second, the organs contained within the thoracic cavity (i.e., heart and lungs) are required for survival, and when these vital structures are injured, the flow of oxygenated blood to the systemic tissues is impaired. Third, although small, solitary stab wounds may damage only a single organ or structure within the thoracic cavity (e.g., intercostal artery, lobe of lung, etc.), blunt trauma and high-velocity missile injuries may destroy or injure large quantities of intrathoracic tissue and adjacent organ systems.
