ABSTRACT
One of the most common traumatic thoracic injuries is a Pneumothorax (PTX), with a subset of patients sustaining an Occult Pneumothorax (OPTX). Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) presents a unique treatment challenge to an OPTX in that there is a risk of progression to a tension PTX, which if untreated, has a mortality approaching 90%. Operative intervention for retained HTX with either video assisted thoracoscopic surgery or thoracotomy has been shown to have more successful chest drainage when compared with a second chest tube placement or thrombolytic therapies. With advances in critical care and minimally invasive procedures, augmenting the postoperative and nonoperative care, many traumatic thoracic injuries continue to be managed successfully with improved outcomes for patients. Blunt traumatic aortic injury carries a significant mortality in the pre and post hospital setting approaching 50–70%. Treatment has evolved with the implementation of thoracic endovascular stent grafts becoming much more common place over open repair.
