• Robert D Winfield, Alexander G Parr, Darwin N Ang, Tomas D Martin, Mike K Chen, M Brent Seagle, Steven N Hochwald, Alan I Reed, and Lawrence Lottenberg.
• Division of Acute Care, Department of Surgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA.
• Am Surg. 2008 Aug 1; 74 (8): 757-60.

AbstractImpalement injuries are relatively uncommon during vehicular trauma. We present a dual case report of patients sustaining simultaneous impalement injuries during a high-speed motor vehicle collision in a rural (austere) environment. After Institutional Review Board approval, we performed a review of the patients' medical records. Two young men were traveling in an automobile at high speed when the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to strike a wooden fence. Portions of the fence were dislodged, penetrated the windshield, and impaled both the driver and passenger. Both patients were extricated rapidly and transported to our trauma center. Multidisciplinary teams consisting of trauma, thoracic, plastic, and hepatobiliary surgeons addressed the injuries of both patients. Both survived their injuries and have since returned to their homes. This case of dual impalements highlights three key points: first, the principles of management of thoracoabdominal impalement injuries; second, the importance of rapid action of first responders in complex traumas; and finally, the value of using a multidisciplinary surgical team in complicated trauma cases.

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