Resuscitative Thoracotomy

 Life-threatening intrathoracic hemorrhage occurs in less than 5% of patients following penetrating injury presenting to the emergency department and in an even lower percentage of patients sustaining blunt trauma.³⁶ The most common injuries include penetrating wounds to the pulmonary hilum and great vessels; less commonly seen are torn descending thoracic aortic injuries with mediastinal rupture or blunt injuries to the pulmonary hila, azygous vein, and so on. Control of intrathoracic hemorrhage may entail hilar cross-clamping, direct digital occlusion of the injury, or even packing of the apices for subclavian vessel injuries.