Abstract

Objective: The approaches and results of the treatment were evaluated in the cases treated on admission to our clinic because of traumatic hemothorax.

Materials and Methods: Of the cases admitted after trauma between 2002-2011, 282 patients treated in our clinic due to hemothorax were included. The cases were retrospectively analyzed in terms of age, gender, cause of trauma, treatment methods, indications of thoracotomy, the location of coexisting trauma in addition to thoracic trauma and treatment outcomes.

Results: Motor-vehicle accidents were the most important cause of hemothorax (168 cases, 59.5%). penetrating injury in 58 cases (20.5%) and gunshot wounds in 32 cases (11.3%). Effective and adequate treatments were provided with tube thoracostomy in 165 cases (58.5%). The number of patients under 15 years was 22 (7.8%). Emergency thoracotomy was applied to 35 (12.4%) cases. The mean duration of stay of the cases at the hospital was 8.3 days. Mortality occurred in 9 cases (3.1%) and morbidity in 43 cases (15.2%).

Conclusion: Tube thoracostomy was sufficient to treat the vast majority of the cases. Benefit can be obtained from video thoracoscopy as the first step of treatment in cases with isolated hemothorax who are hemodynamically stable because of traumatic hemothorax. Thoracotomy has been less necessary than the tube thoracostomy. However, thoracotomy should not be avoided even in the emergency department when necessary.