ABSTRACT
Thoracic trauma has been recorded for over 5000 years1
and still accounts for 25-50% of all trauma.2 It is a contributing cause in 50% of fatal civilian trauma3 and also a reliable marker of injury severity in multitrauma victims. The aetiology of thoracic injury varies worldwide, with penetrating injury being more common in the USA and South Africa, whilst in the UK blunt trauma is more common. In Europe, the leading cause of civilian thoracic injury is road traffic collisions (RTCs) (Table 7.1).
