J Trauma
The most recent articles from:
J Trauma
-
Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Blunt traumatic occult pneumothorax: is observation safe?--results of a prospective, AAST multicenter study.
An occult pneumothorax (OPTX) is found incidentally in 2% to 10% of all blunt trauma patients. Indications for intervention remain controversial. We sought to determine which factors predicted failed observation in blunt trauma patients. ⋯ Most blunt trauma patients with OPTX can be carefully monitored without tube thoracostomy; however, OPTX progression and respiratory distress are independently associated with observation failure.