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Penetrating Chest Trauma in Nigeria

Lagos University Teaching Hospital, College of Medicine of University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria

For reprint information contact: Martins O Thomas, FICS Tel: 234 1 791 7163 Fax: 234 1 583 1027 Email: oluwafemithomas{at}yahoo.com, Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, College of Medicine of University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.

Penetrating chest trauma occurs worldwide, and various accounts of it have been reported in the literature.^1–5 Blunt trauma is not usually associated with military or civilian violence, while penetrating chest trauma often is. Penetrating chest trauma is frequently caused by gunshots and non gunshot-related incidents such as stabs, traffic accidents, and impalements. This prospective study was conducted to determine a pattern of penetrating thoracic injuries, including their causes, the role of surgery, and intervention outcomes. In this study, we treated 168 patients (142 males and 26 females, giving a male-to-female ratio of 5.5:1). Gunshots caused 60.1% of the injuries while traffic accidents caused 27.3% of the injuries. Chest tube insertion alone was the main treatment initiated. This technique was used on 73.8% of the patients. To reduce the occurrence of penetrating chest trauma in Lagos, Nigeria, study results suggest that the Nigerian people and their property need greater security, and that pre-hospital level of care for trauma victims must improve.