MORTALITY PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN CHEST INJURY

multiple trauma patients (P) were compared to P with chest injuries (PCT) (407). Severity indices were related to type of thoracic injury and mortality. The Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Trauma Score (TS), CHOP, and the Respiratory Index (RI) were used. The mortality rate of P was 27.1% but increased to 32.9% for PCT (p < 0.05). We noted that mortality rate was highly dependent on major chest trauma: 68.6% for flail chest (FC), 56% for lung contusion (LC), 42.3% for hemothorax (HA), and 38.1% for pneumothorax (PN). ISS and RI scores for PCT survivors were greater than ISS + RI scores for P survivors (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01). ISS values for LC, HA, and PN PCT survivors were greater than the ISS of P survivors (p < 0.01). Nonsurviving PCTs, especially those with lung contusion, showed a highly significant increase in ISS and RI scores. © 1990 by The Williams and Wilkins Co.