Chest Trauma - Classification

Classification

Chest trauma can be classified as blunt or penetrating. Blunt and penetrating injuries have different pathophysiologies and clinical courses.

Specific types of chest trauma include:

• Injuries to the chest wall
  • Chest wall contusions or hematomas.
  • Rib fractures
  • Flail chest
  • Sternal fractures
  • Fractures of the shoulder girdle
• Pulmonary injury (injury to the lung) and injuries involving the pleural space
  • Pulmonary contusion
  • Pulmonary laceration
  • Pneumothorax
  • Hemothorax
  • Hemopneumothorax
• Injury to the airways
  • Tracheobronchial tear
• Cardiac injury
  • Pericardial tamponade
  • Myocardial contusion
  • Traumatic arrest
• Blood vessel injuries
  • Traumatic aortic rupture, thoracic aorta injury, aortic dissection
• And injuries to other structures within the torso
  • Esophageal injury (Boerhaave syndrome)
  • Diaphragm injury