PENETRATING CHEST WOUNDS - A REPORT ON 210 PATIENTS

Penetrating chest wounds are frequent and serious because of abdominal or mediastinal haemorrhage. Two hundred and ten patients have been treated in the Accident and Emergency Department of the Ibnou Rochd U.H.C. of Casablanca from 1980 to 1988. In this series all the wounds were caused by stab injuries, 90 % of the victims being young male adults. In 91.5 % the condition on presentation was perfectly stable but in 8.5 % urgent intervention was required for cardiac or abdominal lesions. The treatment of these wounds was usually simple, associating re-animation, thoracic drainage (84 %) and, rarely, surgical intervention. Thus, 14 thoracotomies and 20 laparotomies were carried out. Recovery was straightforward in the majority and the mortality rate was 4 %. After a review of the literature, the authors stress the importance of early diagnosis of abdominal lesions and early surgical exploration in the case of serious wounds.