Chest CT Scan Findings in Patients with Chest Trauma Referring to Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz, in 2016-2017; a Brief Report

Imaging technique plays an important role in management of chest trauma and chest x-ray, ultrasonography, and computed tomography (CT) scan are used to diagnose chest injuries. Chest CT scan is the Gold standard for diagnosing chest injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the positive findings of chest CT scan in patients referring to the emergency department of Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz, in 2016-2017.

This is a descriptive study performed on multiple trauma patients referring to Imam Reza Hospital in Tabriz from April 2016 to March 2017. The sampling method was census and all patients with multiple trauma and chest trauma who had referred to Imam Reza Hospital during the study period and had undergone a chest spiral CT were included in the study. Independent t-test was used to compare quantitative data and chi-square was used to compare qualitative data.

During the study period, 390 patients with chest trauma and multiple trauma had undergone chest CT. Of which, 296 were male (75.9%) and 94 (24.1%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 48.35 years. Traffic accidents were the most common cause of trauma. In nearly half of the patients there was no positive finding on chest spiral CT scan. However, there were multiple findings in 21 patients. The most common injuries were: rib fracture (11.3%), pneumothorax (12.3%), pneumomediastinum (2%), hemothorax (4.6%), and pulmonary contusion (4.9%).

In patients with multiple trauma, the most common positive CT findings were rib fractures, followed by pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema and hemothorax. In cases where there is a fracture of the first three ribs or flail chest, or a fracture of the scapula and high-energy trauma, the rate of visceral damage inside the chest and abdomen is higher, and chest CT scan can diagnose hemothorax and minor pneumothorax, which are not detectable in chest x-ray.