ABSTRACT
Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability among children worldwide and accounts for 40% of all childhood mortality in some countries. Thoracic trauma may be classified according to mechanism of injury, simply either blunt or penetrating. However, given that the predominant mechanism of injury is blunt, pediatric thoracic trauma may be more appropriately classified anatomically as trauma to the chest wall, pleural cavity or pulmonary parenchyma, and mediastinal structures. Fractures of the first and second ribs have traditionally been associated with significant thoracic trauma and should also raise suspicion of injury to mediastinal organs, for instance cardiac contusion or major vascular injury. Injuries to the lung or pleural cavity are the most common sequelae of blunt and penetrating thoracic trauma. Lung contusion is the most common thoracic injury in children and occurs in about half of all cases of blunt thoracic trauma. Injuries to mediastinal structures are the least common of all blunt and penetrating thoracic traumas.
