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Michael P. Collins, MD; Jerry M. Shuck, MD, DSc; Thomas L. Wachtel, MD; Jerold Brenowitz, MD

Arch Surg. 1978;113(4):440-445.

Abstract
• Twenty-three patients who sustained either blunt or penetrating thoracic trauma underwent early decortication after failure of chest tube drainage. Patients were divided into two groups: (1) ten with isolated chest injuries were compared with (2) 13 with chest trauma and other associated major injuries. Group 1 patients had earlier decortication (10.3 days), rapid recovery (home in 6.1 days), and little morbidity. Group 2 patients had later decortications (19.3 days), higher incidence of infected clot, yet were home in 9.8 days after thoracotomy. Early decortication is advocated as a safe and expedient means of dealing with the complications of traumatic pneumothorax and hemothorax.

(Arch Surg 113:440-445, 1978)

Author Affiliations
From the Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque.

Footnotes
Read before the 85th annual meeting of the Western Surgical Association Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Nov 13-16, 1977.

Reprint requests to Department of Surgery, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131 (Dr Shuck).