Thoracotomy: Difference between revisions

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==Background==
*Survival rates are uniformly poor with guidelines reporting:<ref>Hopson LR et al. Guidelines for withholding or termina- tion of resuscitation in prehospital traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest: Joint Position Statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. J Am Coll Surg. 2003; 196:106.</ref>
**Blunt trauma survival as great as 2%
**Penetrating trauma survival as great 16%
*Meta-analysis reports overall rates closer to 1.5% with favorable neurologic outcome<ref name="slessor">Slessor D, Hunter S. To be blunt: are we wasting our time? Emergency department thoracotomy following blunt trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2015 Mar;65(3):297-307</ref>
*Best outcomes occur if the patient arrested less than 15 minutes before the procedure.
*For penetrating chest trauma with cardiac tamponade the survival rate may be closer to 0.07%<ref name="slessor" />
==Goals==
*Release tamponade
*Control intrathoracic/cardiac bleeding
*Control air embolism
*Cardiac massage
*Temporary occlusion of descending aorta (optimize flow to brain and heart)
==Indications==
==Indications==
===ED Thoracotomy===
===ED Thoracotomy===
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*Consider for exsanguinating abdominal vascular injuries
*Consider for exsanguinating abdominal vascular injuries
*[[Thoracotomy (Peds)]]
*[[Thoracotomy (Peds)]]
===Goals===
*Release tamponade
*Control intrathoracic/cardiac bleeding
*Control air embolism
*Cardiac massage
*Temporary occlusion of descending aorta (optimize flow to brain and heart)


===OR Thoracotomy===
===OR Thoracotomy===
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==Equipment Needed==
==Equipment Needed==
*


==Procedure==
==Procedure==
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#[[Autotransfuse]] thoracic blood
#[[Autotransfuse]] thoracic blood
#If no evidence of injury to L-side, but possible R-sided injury, extend to R side (clam shelling)
#If no evidence of injury to L-side, but possible R-sided injury, extend to R side (clam shelling)
==Complications==
==Comments==
*Survival rates are uniformly poor with guidelines reporting:<ref>Hopson LR et al. Guidelines for withholding or termina- tion of resuscitation in prehospital traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest: Joint Position Statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. J Am Coll Surg. 2003; 196:106.</ref>
**Blunt trauma survival as great as 2%
**Penetrating trauma survival as great 16%
*Meta-analysis reports overall rates closer to 1.5% with favorable neurologic outcome<ref name="slessor">Slessor D, Hunter S. To be blunt: are we wasting our time? Emergency department thoracotomy following blunt trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2015 Mar;65(3):297-307</ref>
*Best outcomes occur if the patient arrested less than 15 minutes before the procedure.
*For penetrating chest trauma with cardiac tamponade the survival rate may be closer to 0.07%<ref name="slessor" />


==See Also==
==See Also==
[[Thoracotomy (Peds)]]
*[[Thoracotomy (Peds)]]
 
==External Links==


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 15:44, 8 July 2015

Indications

ED Thoracotomy

  • Penetrating chest trauma with signs of life in the field
    • Pulse, BP, pupil reactivity, purposeful movement, organized rhythm, respiratory effort)
  • Blunt chest trauma with signs of life lost in ED
  • Consider for exsanguinating abdominal vascular injuries
  • Thoracotomy (Peds)

Goals

  • Release tamponade
  • Control intrathoracic/cardiac bleeding
  • Control air embolism
  • Cardiac massage
  • Temporary occlusion of descending aorta (optimize flow to brain and heart)

OR Thoracotomy

  • Thoracoabdominal trauma patients with persistent SBP < 70-80 despite aggressive resuscitation
  • Chest tube drainage > 1500 ml initially or > 200 mL/hr for 2-4hr
  • Evidence of cardiac tamponade or progressively increasing hemothorax

Contraindications

  • No absolute contraindications to ED thoracotomy (emergent procedure)

Equipment Needed

Procedure

ED thoracotomy
  1. Intubate and place NGT
  2. Always start with left-sided approach (even if penetrating injury is on right side)
    • If possible, should have concurrent right sided chest tube being placed
  3. Incise from sternum to to posterior axillary line (4th or 5th intercostal space)
    • Cut through skin, soft tissue, and muscle in one pass
    • May scissors can be used to cut the intercostal muscle
  4. Rib spreader with rachet bar down
  5. Push lung out of way to access pericardium
  6. Pericardiotomy
    • Pick up pericardium just anterior to phrenic nerve
    • Incise from apex to root of aorta parallel to phrenic nerve
  7. Inspect myocardium for lacerations
    • Digital occlusion
    • Skin stapler
    • Foley catheter w/ purse-string suture around it (closes wound when foley removed)
    • Horizontal mattress (can be difficult w/ beating heart)
  8. Cardiac Massage
    • one-handed vs two-handed
    • Intracardiac epinephrine
  9. Internal Defibrillation
    • Lower voltages than external defibrillation
  10. Cross Clamp Aorta
    • Up to 30 min is tolerated
    • Indicated after persistent hypotension after pericardiotomy and fluid resus
    • Aorta posterior to NGT
  11. Autotransfuse thoracic blood
  12. If no evidence of injury to L-side, but possible R-sided injury, extend to R side (clam shelling)

Complications

Comments

  • Survival rates are uniformly poor with guidelines reporting:[1]
    • Blunt trauma survival as great as 2%
    • Penetrating trauma survival as great 16%
  • Meta-analysis reports overall rates closer to 1.5% with favorable neurologic outcome[2]
  • Best outcomes occur if the patient arrested less than 15 minutes before the procedure.
  • For penetrating chest trauma with cardiac tamponade the survival rate may be closer to 0.07%[2]

See Also

External Links

References

  1. Hopson LR et al. Guidelines for withholding or termina- tion of resuscitation in prehospital traumatic cardiopulmonary arrest: Joint Position Statement of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. J Am Coll Surg. 2003; 196:106.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Slessor D, Hunter S. To be blunt: are we wasting our time? Emergency department thoracotomy following blunt trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Emerg Med. 2015 Mar;65(3):297-307