Clinical Analysis with Trauma Scoring in Blunt Thoracic Trauma

Abstract

Aim: Thoracic surgeons frequently encounter blunt thoracic traumas at the emergency ward. The clinical findings of such cases may require immediate action. The aim of the study is to discuss the efficiency of trauma scoring in the clinical course of blunt thoracic trauma. Material and Method: Inpatients with blunt thoracic trauma who received care at the department of thoracic surgery between January 2017–2019 were analyzed. The cases were assessed based on gender, trauma type, surgical intervention, length of stay, and chest trauma scoring (CTS) (contusion, rib fracture, age) parameters. Results: 111 (79.3%) of the 140 patients assessed were male, and 29 (20.7%) were female, and the average age was 49.3 (12–93). The patients were analyzed based on the chest trauma scoring calculated using the age, contusion, and rib fracture parameters. It was concluded that the trauma scoring varied between 2 and 7 (mean score 3.49+1.49). There was a statistically significant relationship between the increasing age and the number of rib fractures (p=0.004). An increased possibility of hemothorax and pneumothorax as the age increases was also observed (p=0.016, p=0.016, respectively). It was determined that the higher the contusion rate was, the higher was the possibility of hemothorax (p=0.03). It was observed that as the number of rib fractures increased, the possibility of hemothorax and pneumothorax increased and the relationship was statistically significant (p=0.009, p=0.018, respectively). A statistically significant relationship between CTS score and pathologies of hemothorax and pneumothorax was identified (p=0.001, p=0.008, respectively). However, no relationship between the CTS score and length of stay (p=0.612, p=0.612, respectively) was observed. Conclusion: The trauma scoring systems indeed act as an early warning system for the clinicians. However, the changing and developing health systems and many clinical parameters require modification in CTS, which is used to predict the clinical course of patients with isolated thoracic trauma, as in all trauma scores.