Severe thoracic lesions and the damage control approach

[摘要] New strategies have been developed in the last years to treat severe trauma with exsanguinating lesions or without them. The latter demand more changes in the way of acting in order to improve survival. Such surgical strategies have been called damage control surgery that in essence prevent complications such as the lethal triad of acidosis, hypothermia and coagulopathy. Unlike the control of abdomen damage, there are thoracic lesions requiring an initial repair during surgery, but there may be found others, whose repair is secondary. The damage control method in the thoracic lesions should be conducted with technically fast and simple procedures to postpone the definitive treatment of the lesions that do not require an immediate repair in patients in extremis.

[学科分类] 外科医学

[关键词] Thorax trauma;damage control surgery;emergency thoracotomy;exsanguination;compartmental syndrome.