• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.43-50
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• 1971

Three patients who sustained penetrating stab wound of the heart have been treated successfully by emergency thoracotomy in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Chonnam University Hospital. There were two knife and one glass wound. The location of the injury were all on the right ventricle, but in one patient, it was penetrated to ventricular septum. All patients were in shock with a systolic pressure under 60 mmHg when admitted to the emergency room. In one of the three patients, blood pressure was not detectable and subsequently cardiac arrest. Two patients required immediate thoracotomy because of intrathoracic hemorrhage and increased pericardial tamponade and the other one required prompt thoracotomy because of sudden onset of cardiac arrest. There were no death postoperatively. Two patients are living without any complication in 4 years and 4 weeks after operation. One who had penetrating wound to ventricular septum, turned to cardiac decompensation, but he is living now in 4$\frac{1}{2}$ years after operation. Exploratory thoracotomy should be performed immediately in all the patients in whom a penetrating wound of the heart or pericardial tamponade following a penetrating wound of the chest wall is suspected.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.284-287
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• 2021

We report a case of delayed chest wall reconstruction after thoracotomy. A 53-yearold female, a victim of a motor vehicle accident, presented with bilateral multiple rib fractures with flail motion and multiple extrathoracic injuries. Whole-body computed tomography revealed multiple fractures of the bilateral ribs, clavicle, and scapula, and bilateral hemopneumothorax with severe lung contusions. Active hemorrhage was also found in the anterior pelvis, which was treated by angioembolization. The patient was transferred to the surgical intensive care unit for follow-up. We planned to perform surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) because her lung condition did not seem favorable for general anesthesia. Within a few hours, however, massive hemorrhage (presumably due to coagulopathy) drained through the thoracic drainage catheter. We performed an exploratory thoracotomy in the operating room. We initially planned to perform exploratory thoracotomy and "on the way out" SSRF. In the operating room, the hemorrhage was controlled; however, her condition deteriorated and SSRF could not be completed. SSRF was completed after about a month owing to other medical conditions, and the patient was weaned successfully.

• The Korean Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2005

Penetrating chest trauma by stab injury may result in massive hemothorax from damage to single or multiple intrathoracic organs such as heart, aorta, internal mammary artery, intercostal artery or pulmonary parenchyme. Prognosis of massive hemothorax necessitating emergency thoracotomy is fatal especially so if there exists concomitant underlying compromise of cardiopulmonary function. A 56 year old man with destroyed left lung due to old pulmonary tuberculosis was stabbed in right parasternal lesion through third intercostal space. Intubation with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and closed thoracostomy were performed to resuscitate from cardiac asystole from hemorrhagic shock and acute respiratory distress. Midsternotomy was made to expose active bleeding foci in right mammary artery, subclavian vein, intercostal artery and anterior segment of right upper lung showing severe bullous change and pleural adhesion. Postoperative care included ventilator support, inotropic instillation and cautious, balance fluid therapy ; successful extubation was done on third postoperative day and patient was discharged on tenth postoperative day without any complication.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.195-203
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• 2020

The following key questions and recommendations are presented herein: when is airway intubation initiated in severe trauma? Airway intubation must be initiated in severe trauma patients with a GCS of 8 or lower (1B). Should rapid sequence intubation (RSI) be performed in trauma patients? RSI should be performed in trauma patients to secure the airway unless it is determined that securing the airway will be problematic (1B). What should be used as an induction drug for airway intubation? Ketamine or etomidate can be used as a sedative induction drug when RSI is being performed in a trauma patient (2B). If cervical spine damage is suspected, how is cervical protection achieved during airway intubation? When intubating a patient with a cervical spine injury, the extraction collar can be temporarily removed while the neck is fixed and protected manually (1C). What alternative method should be used if securing the airway fails more than three times? If three or more attempts to intubate the airway fail, other methods should be considered to secure the airway (1B). Should trauma patients maintain normal ventilation after intubation? It is recommended that trauma patients who have undergone airway intubation maintain normal ventilation rather than hyperventilation or hypoventilation (1C). When should resuscitative thoracotomy be considered for trauma patients? Resuscitative thoracotomy is recommended for trauma patients with penetrating injuries undergoing cardiac arrest or shock in the emergency room (1B).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.483-485
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• 1994

Recently, we experienced one case of penetrating cardiac injury patient by the knife.This patient was treated by emergency operation through left anterolateral thoracotomy under local anesthesia at emergency room. But, the patient was brought about the brain death inspite of normalized function of heart and lung. Now we have a conclusion that was able to recover of heart and lung functions by doctor`s exactly judgement and practice, at least.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.66-70
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• 2019

Traumatic diaphragmatic injuries (TDIs) are a rare complication in thoraco-abdominal trauma. The diagnosis is difficult and if left untreated, TDI can cause traumatic diaphragmatic hernia (TDH). Through an injured diaphragm, the liver, spleen, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine can be herniated to the thoracic cavity, but pancreatic herniation and pancreatitis are quite rare in TDH. This paper reports a case of pancreatitis developed by additional trauma in a patient with asymptomatic chronic TDH. A 58-year-old male visited the emergency department with a left abdominal injury after a fall 6 hours earlier. The vital signs were stable, but the amylase and lipase levels were elevated to 558 U/L and 1,664 U/L, respectively. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a left diaphragmatic hernia and an incarceration of the stomach, pancreatic ductal dilatation, and peripancreatic fatty infiltration. Additional history taking showed that he had suffered a fall approximately 20 years ago and had an accidentally diaphragmatic hernia through a chest CT 6 months earlier. A comparison with the previous CT revealed the pancreatitis to be caused by secondary pancreatic ductal obstruction due to the incarcerated stomach. For pancreatitis, gastrointestinal decompression was performed, and after 3 days, the pancreatic enzyme was normalized; hence, a thoracotomy was performed. A small ruptured diaphragm was found and reposition of the organs was performed. This paper reports the experience of successfully treating pancreatitis and pancreatic hernia developed after trauma without complications through a thoracotomy following gastrointestinal decompression.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.381-386
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• 1995

In our hospital we have seen 20 cases of congenital diaphragmatic anomalies from June 1984 until December 1993. These were classified into 10 cases of diaphragmatic eventration, 8 cases of Bochdalek hernia, 1 case of Morgagni hernia, and 1 case of esophageal hiatal hernia. Diaphragmatic eventration cases were composed of 8 males and 2 females with ages varing from 3 hour to 42 year. They were discovered by symptoms: 5 cases of respiratory insufficiency; 3 cases of frequent respiratory infection; and 2 cases by chance; 6 cases involved the left side, 4 cases involved right side. Emergency operations were done to 4 patients. Among the 10 patients, only one operative mortality occurred; 3 hour old female.Bochdalek hernia cases composed 6 females and 2 males, 5 patients were less than 6 hour old. All patients were operated on an emergency status and three of them expired due to the vicious cycle of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vasoconstriction, persistent fetal circulation, hypoxia, and metabolic acidosis. Morgagni hernia was seen in one 69 year old female patient, she had no complaint of symptoms and was incidentally detected. Hernia was repaired through right thoracotomy. She was discharged with healthy appearence. Esophageal hiatal hernia was seen in a 10 month old male patient, his symptoms were persistent vomiting and coughing since birth. Sliding type of esophageal hiatal hernia repair was completed through left thoracotomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.698-704
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• 1989

We experienced the seven cases of penetrating and non-penetrating cardiac injuries combined with cardiac tamponade from June 1986 to June 1989 at Seoul and Chun-An Hospital of SOONCHUNHYANG medical college. The results were as follows. l. In sex distribution, 7 cases were male. In age distribution, The fourth decades occupied about 58 % of all cases. 2. In mode of injury, 4 cases were stab wounds, 1 case penetration by metallic fragment, 2 cases blunt chest trauma. 3. We routinely checked the CVP with subclavian vein catheterization in case of suspicious cardiac tamponade. Significant increments were showed in 4 cases. 4. Becks triad [low blood pressure, raised central venous pressure, distant heart sound] were recorded in 43 % of the cases with proven tamponades. 5. The sites of injury included RV in 4 cases, LV in 1 case, RA in 1 case and branch of RCA in 1 case. The RV injuries were the most common. 6. Coronary artery damage occurred in 2 cases. LADA was severed in 1 case combined with RV rupture and branch of RCA was torn 1 case. 7. Pericardiocentesis was performed 1 case at another hospital before referring to our hospital. We have never used the procedure because we think that it is potentially dangerous with no clear benefit. 8. Subxyphoid pericardial window was performed in 2 cases of severe cardiac tamponade. We have employed this method to stabilize the patients who had systolic hypotension. 9. Surgical approaches were performed with median sternotomy in 3 cases, thoracotomy in 4 cases. 10. We undertook the simple closure in 6 penetrating cardiac wounds. The removal of impacted metallic fragment was performed under the cardiopulmonary bypass. Simple ligation was performed in 2 cases of coronary artery severance 11. One patient with no sign of life was urgently intubated and undertaken an emergency room thoracotomy on the stretch car without antiseptic preparation. The cardiorrhaphy in 6 cases were performed in the operating theater 12. One patient undertaken emergency room thoracotomy did not survive due to refractory hypovolemic shock. But the remaining 6 patients recovered.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.108-111
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• 2017

A 4-year-old, weighing 7.6 kg, castrated male, Pug presented with ingestion of gastric cavity foreign body. Physical examination revealed panting, retching and hyper-salivation. Blood chemistry and complete blood cell count were normal, but hypophosphatemia was observed. An abdominal radiograph revealed the foreign body (FB), round shape and 2 cm length, at the pyloric region of stomach. A thoracic radiograph revealed an incidental metal FB, 3.5 cm length, at the cranial portion of the diaphragm. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed to remove the FB in the stomach and then a peach-pit was removed. However the metal FB was not found in the esophagus therefore a lateral thoracotomy was performed. A right lateral thoracotomy through the $7^{th}$ intercostal space was accomplished to expose the right caudal lung lobe. After open the thoracic cavity, foreign body was not observed by gross evaluation and caudal lung lobe was attached to the diaphragm. The FB was identified inside the lung lobe and surrounded by granulation tissue. The metal FB (sewing needle) was removed with blunt dissection and incised lung lobe was sutured using absorbable suture material PDS 4-0 with interrupted suture. A thoracotomy tube was inserted into the thoracic cavity during surgery. Patient's respiration became stable after surgery. A chest tube was removed 3 days after surgery. No complications were noted and the dog was discharged 4 days after surgery. In small animal, foreign body ingestion is a common reason for emergency. After ingestion of the FB, perforation through the esophagus and migration to inside the lung lobe is not common in small animals. In this case, thoracic metal FB was identified incidentally and removal of a thoracic FB with thoracotomy was performed successfully.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.71-74
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• 2014

Among chest trauma patients, cardiac laceration is a rare, but severe, condition requiring prompt management. Depending on the patient's hemodynamic status, early detection rate of a cardiac laceration may or may not be occur. If a possibility of cardiac laceration exists, an emergent thoracotomy should be performed. Furthermore, patients who experience a cardiac laceration also experience different kinds of complications. Therefore, close follow-up and monitoring are required. Herein, we report a 41-year-old man with a left atrium and a left ventricle laceration caused by a thoracic stab injury.