• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.760-765
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• 1989

Cardiac injury remains one of the most spectacular injuries which the present day cardiac surgeon is called upon to treat. Eight consecutive patients with penetrating or blunt injury to the heart underwent operation at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Masan Koryo General Hospital from April 22 88 to April 6 89. l. Among the 8 cases of cardiac injured patients, 7 cases were penetrating injury [stab injury] and one case was blunt injury [traffic accident]. 2. The site of cardiac injury was LV mainly and the next RV, SVC-RA junction in order. 3. The all patients were admitted to our hospital via ER and most of cases, CVP was elevated above 15 cmH2O and 7 of 8 cases were shock state. 4. In 6 of 8 cases revealed cardiomegaly in simple chest X * ray. 5. 7 cases were operated through the median sternotomy, 1 case the right anterolateral thoracotomy. 6. Associated injuries in penetrating cardiac injury were hemothorax, pneumothorax, sternal fracture, lung laceration, LAD transaction in blunt injury, hemoperitoneum.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1398-1400
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• 1996

The cardiac anatomic position immediately beneath the sternum leaves it vulnerable to injury when this bone is fractured. Cardiac rupture, however, is uncommon but survival following this injury is rare. We report the case of one patient who survived right ventricle perforation resulting from sternal fracture. The patient developed signs of pericardial tamponade and was brought to the operating theatre immediately for surgery through the emergency anterolateral thoracotomy Perforation of th right ventricle was repaired by direct closure without cardiopulmonary bypass. We believe that patients with cardiac rupture who reach the hospital alive can often be saved by prompt diagnosis and surgery.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.290-294
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• 2023

Generally, patients with severe burst fractures, instability, or neurological deficits require surgical treatment. In most cases, circumferential reconstruction is performed. Surgical methods for three-column reconstruction include anterior, lateral, and posterior approaches. In cases involving an anterior or lateral approach, collaboration with general or thoracic surgeons may be necessary because the adjacent anatomical structures are unfamiliar to spinal surgeons. Risks include vascular or lumbar plexus injuries and cage displacement, and in most cases, additional posterior fusion surgery is required. However, the posterior approach is the most common and anatomically familiar approach for surgeons performing spinal surgery. We present a case in which three-column reconstruction was performed using only the posterior approach to treat a patient with a severe lumbar burst fracture.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.37-43
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• 2009

Purpose: A missed fracture is a very common occurrence in the Emergency Department (ED) and can have serious results because of delays in treatment, resulting in long-term disability. It is also one of the most common causes leading to medical legal issues. We analyzed the causes of missed fractures by using a bone scan which is known to be an effective tool for diagnosing bony lesions. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of trauma patients who underwent a bone scan after being discharged the ED from September 2006 to March 2008. Cases of missed fractures were identified by using electronic medical records to review each diagnosis. Definition of missed fracture was read after bone scan by radiologist. We decided that there was no fracture if we read 'trauma-related lesion' or 'cannot rule out fracture' on a bone scan read by a radiologist. Enrolled patients were analyzed by age, sex, time until bone scan and Injury Severity Score (ISS). Patients were divided into two groups, alert mentality and not-alert mentality, so there were split between a diagnosis group and a missed fracture group. ISS was also used in determining the severity of the patient's injury upon discharge from the ED. Results: A total of 532 patients were enrolled in this study. Of those, 487 patients were in the diagnosis group, and 45 patients (8.4%) were discovered to have had a fracture. Of the 45 missed fracture patients, 34 patients (6.4%) had one-site fractures, 8 patients (1.5%) had two-site fractures, and 3 patients (0.6%) had three-site fractures. The most commonly missed fracture was multiple rib fractures (18 patients, 30.5%), followed by lumbosacral (LS) spine fractures (10 patients, 16.9%), thoracic spine fractures (8 patients, 13.6%), and clavicle fractures (6 patients, 10.2%). Mean age was $50.12{\pm}18.54$ years in the diagnosis group and $57.38{\pm}16.88$ years in the missed fracture group. For the diagnosis group, the mean ISS was $9.03{\pm}8.26$, but in the missed fracture group it was $17.53{\pm}9.69$. Missed fractures were much more frequent in the not-alert mentality (p<0.01) and in the high (ISS$ ISS{\geq}16$) group (p<0.01). Conclusion: Missed fractures occur most frequent in patients of old age, not-alert mentality, and high ISS. Multiple rib and spine fractures were found to be the most frequent missed fractures, regardless of trauma severity. This study also shows a high possibility of clavicle and scapula fractures in patients with severe trauma.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.48-59
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• 2024

Purpose: Research on rib fracture management has exponentially increased. Predicting fracture patterns based on the mechanism of injury (MOI) and other possible correlations may improve resource allocation and injury prevention strategies. The Chest Injury International Database (CIID) is the largest prospective repository of the operative and nonoperative management of patients with severe chest wall trauma. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the MOI is associated with the resulting rib fracture patterns. We hypothesized that specific MOIs would be associated with distinct rib fracture patterns. Methods: The CIID was queried to analyze fracture patterns based on the MOI. Patients were stratified by MOI: falls, motor vehicle collisions (MVCs), motorcycle collisions (MCCs), automobile-pedestrian collisions, and bicycle collisions. Fracture locations, associated injuries, and patient-specific variables were recorded. Heat maps were created to display the fracture incidence by rib location. Results: The study cohort consisted of 1,121 patients with a median RibScore of 2 (range, 0-3) and 9,353 fractures. The average age was 57±20 years, and 64% of patients were male. By MOI, the number of patients and fractures were as follows: falls (474 patients, 3,360 fractures), MVCs (353 patients, 3,268 fractures), MCCs (165 patients, 1,505 fractures), automobile-pedestrian collisions (70 patients, 713 fractures), and bicycle collisions (59 patients, 507 fractures). The most commonly injured rib was the sixth rib, and the most common fracture location was lateral. Statistically significant differences in the location and patterns of fractures were identified comparing each MOI, except for MCCs versus bicycle collisions. Conclusions: Different mechanisms of injury result in distinct rib fracture patterns. These different patterns should be considered in the workup and management of patients with thoracic injuries. Given these significant differences, future studies should account for both fracture location and the MOI to better define what populations benefit from surgical versus nonoperative management.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.372-377
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• 2007

Tuberculous spondylitis is the most common manifestation of musculoskeletal tuberculosis (TB). The progression of the disease is usually slow and insidious. The main symptom, back pain, is not specific, which frequently results in a delayed diagnosis resulting in neurologic deficits and more advanced vertebral destruction. It is more difficult to diagnose the disease if the involved area is an uncommon sites, such as the upper thoracic, cervical or sacral region. It is important to make an early diagnosis and treatment to achieve a better treatment outcome. We reported a 29 year old female with upper thoracic TB spondylitis(T2-8) and pulmonary TB complaining of back pain that persisted for 5 months and fever. TB spondylitis was not suspected to be due to upper thoracic involvement despite her pulmonary tuberculosis. Chest CT for the evaluation of pulmonary TB found T5 destruction and the paravertebral abscess that was consistent with TB spondylitis. Her spine was examined by MRI, which made an early diagnosis before the neurologic deficit had developed. She was treated with surgical intervention due to the spinal instability and anti-TB medication for 1 year with excellent results.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.130-134
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• 2013

Background: Rib fractures are the most common type of thoracic trauma and cause other complications. We explored the risk factors for pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and eighteen patients who visited our hospital with multiple rib fractures between January 2002 and December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Chest X-rays and chest computed tomography were used to identify injury severity. Patients with only a single rib fracture or who were transferred to another hospital within 2 days were excluded. Results: There were 327 male patients (78%), and the median age was 53 years. The etiologies of the patients' trauma included traffic accidents in 164 cases (39%), falls in 78 cases (19%), slipping and falling in 90 (22%), pedestrian accidents in 30 (7%), industrial accidents in 41 (10%), and assault in 15 (4%). The median number of rib fractures was 4.8. Pulmonary complications including flail chest (2.3%), lung contusion (22%), hemothorax (62%), pneumothorax (31%), and hemopneumothorax (20%) occurred. Chest tubes were inserted into the thoracic cavity in 216 cases (52%), and the median duration of chest tube insertion was 10.26 days. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) and rib score had a median of 15.27 and 6.9, respectively. Pneumonia occurred in 18 cases (4.3%). Of the total cases, 33% of the cases were managed in the intensive care unit (ICU), and the median duration of stay in the ICU was 7.74 days. Antibiotics were administered in 399 patients (95%) for a median of 10.53 days. Antibiotics were used for more than 6 days in 284 patients (68%). The factors affecting pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures in multivariate analysis included age (p=0.004), ISS (p<0.001), and rib score (p=0.038). The use of antibiotics was not associated with the occurrence of pneumonia (p=0.28). In-hospital mortality was 5.3% (n=22). Conclusion: The factors affecting risk of pneumonia in patients with multiple rib fractures included age (p=0.004), ISS (p<0.001), and rib score (p=0.038). Elderly patients with multiple traumas have a high risk of pneumonia and should be treated accordingly.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1997

Sixty children were admitted to he Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyungpook National University Hospital for the treatment of thoracic injuries for about a 10year period ending in August, 1995. We reviewed the hospital records retrospectively, to see the characteristics of the scope and consequences of childhood chest injuries. Mean age was 9 years and forty-six cases(77%) were male. Fifty children(83%) were victims of a blunt trauma. Among the blunt trauma patients, more than 60% were traffic-related. All victims of penetrating trauma were male. Among the blunt trauma patients, rib fracture was the most frequently found (52%) followed by pneumothorax(42%), although significant intrathoracic injuries occurred without rib fractures in )2% of blunt trauma cases. Associated injuries were present in 42% of children reviewed. Most frequently performed surgical procedure was closed thoracostomy(45% ), and ten children required thoracotomy and fifteen needed assisted ventilation. Modified Injury Severi y Scale(MISS) score was measured in the multiple Injured group. MISS score correlated significantly with the length of stay In the intensive care unit. One child(1.7% ), involved in a traffic accident, died of sepsis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1085-1088
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• 1998

Background: In trauma patients, bony thorax are exposured to the trauma in many cases. With simple x-ray, we can not detect all definitive bony abnormalities, especially in less severe cases. Bone scan is very sensitive diagnostic method in such cases. Materials and methods: We experienced 680 cases and results were as follows. Results: 1. Diagnostic sensitivity was 97.4% and false negative rate was 2.6%. 2. In sensitivity study, the time factor(when we perform bone scan) was the most important thing according to trauma pattern. In rib fracture, sensitive test time was after 1 week. In sternal fracture, sensitive test time was after 1 week, too. In costochondral junction fracture and combined cases, it was after 3 days. Conclusions: We recommend timely using of bone scan as definitive diagnostic method in bony thorax trauma patients.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.224-227
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• 2017

A 20-year-old man presented with a femur fracture and epidural hemorrhage (EDH) following a fall. One month after fracture surgery, swelling developed in both legs, and he was diagnosed as having a deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. A retrievable inferior vena cava filter (IVCF) was inserted, because EDH is a contraindication to anticoagulants. Four months later, he complained of abdominal pain, and a computed tomography scan showed a fractured IVCF strut. After percutaneous removal failed 3 times, the IVCF was surgically removed by orthopedists using a portable image intensifier without cardiopulmonary bypass.