Chest Surg Clin N Am 1997
May;7(2):239-61
The fractured rib in chest wall trauma.
Mayberry JC, Trunkey DD
Chest wall trauma and rib fractures are significant sources of morbidity
and mortality in countries in which motor vehicle
accidents are prevalent. Physicians who care for injured patients should
realize that patients with thoracic trauma are at
significant risk for mortality, deterioration, and associated injuries.
Care must be taken to avoid underestimation of the effect of
the injury on subsequent respiratory mechanics. Armed with an understanding
of chest injury epidemiology, biomechanics, and
pain control, physicians can better serve these high-risk patients.
