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Home > Emergency Medical Minute > Podcast #204: Thoracotomy
Podcast: Emergency Medical Minute
Episode:

Podcast #204: Thoracotomy
Category: Science & Medicine
Duration: 00:02:39
Publish Date: 2017-05-14 11:00:00
Description:

Author: Aaron Lessen M.D.

Educational Pearls:

 

  • Thoracotomy is a potentially life-saving procedure. However, outcomes are often poor and the procedure itself poses many risks to provider and patient.
  • Chance of surviving a thoracotomy when there is no cardiac activity on ultrasound is 0%.
  • Performing a thoracotomy is unlikely to benefit patients with no cardiac activity on ultrasound or patients that lost vital signs greater than 10 minutes before starting the procedure.
  • A thoracotomy is maximally beneficial in patients with a penetrating chest injury that occurred less than 10 minutes before the procedure.

 

References: K. Inaba et al, “FAST Ultrasound Examination as a Predictor of Outcomes After Resuscitative Thoracotomy: A Prospective Evaluation” Ann. of Surgery, 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26258320
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