Diagnosis and treatment of open thoraco-abdominal injuries

From January 1954 to December 1987, 42 cases with open thoracoabdominal injuries were surgically treated. The causes of trauma were gun shot in 11, stabbing in 28, and buffalo horn injury in 3 cases. 24 cases were complicated with shock and 29 cases had more than two thoracoabdominal organs injured. 3 patients died postoperatively, an operative mortality rate of 7.1%. The authors discussed the problems of nomenclature, diagnosis and treatment and emphasized that: (1) open wound with thoracic and abdominal cavities and diaphragm involved simultaneously should be called open thoraco-abdominal injury; (2) surgical treatment is often delayed if diagnosis depends solely on X-ray examination; (3) operative approach should be carefully selected according to circumstances.