Prognostic factors in flail-chest patients.

Objective: The records of 250 patients presenting with flail-chest injury in a level I trauma centre were reviewed and analysed in order to determine prognostic factors.

Methods: There were 250 consecutive trauma patients with flail chest, 183 men (73.2%) and 67 women (26.

Management of 150 flail chest injuries: analysis of risk factors affecting outcome.

Objective: Flail chest continues to be an important injury with significant complications. The records of 150 patients presenting with flail chest injury were reviewed to determine risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality.

Material And Method: During a 7-year period 150 patients with a flail chest injury were admitted to our trauma center.

Spontaneous pneumomediastinum: a rare benign entity.

Objective: Spontaneous pneumomediastinum usually occurs in young people without an apparent precipitating factor or disease. Thoracic surgeons are involved in the diagnosis and management of this entity because of the potentially life-threatening conditions that either must be treated as an emergency or excluded, such as esophageal perforation or necrotizing mediastinitis. We present our modest experience in treating spontaneous pneumomediastinum.

Sternal fractures: retrospective analysis of 100 cases.

Isolated sternal fractures are seen with increasing frequency in road accidents, especially since the introduction of seatbelt legislation. The medical records of all our patients who were treated with a diagnosis of sternal fracture (SF) over the past two decades were retrospectively reviewed to determine the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of this entity. Between 1984 and 1998, 100 consecutive patients were admitted to the Department of Surge Surgery, General Hospital of Nikea-Piraeus, Greece, for SF.