[Severe Thoracic Trauma Indications and Contraindications for Non-operative and Operative Treatment Strategies].

Severe thoracic trauma can occur as a penetrating or blunt mono-injury or as part of a polytrauma. Almost half of all severely injured patients documented in the TraumaRegister DGU were diagnosed with severe chest trauma, defined according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) as ≥ 3. In our own collective, the proportion was even higher with 60%. Emergency surgical treatment with a thoracotomy within the Trauma Resuscitation Unit or within the first hour of admission is an extremely rare intervention in Germany, accounting for 0.9% of severe thoracic injuries. The management of complex polytraumas and extensive pathophysiological reactions to the trauma, as well as knowledge about the development of secondary damage have led to the conclusion that minimally invasive procedures such as video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) or inserting a chest drain can resolve most severe thoracic injuries. At < 4%, penetrating injuries to the thorax are a rarity. Among blunt thoracic injuries, > 6% show an unstable thoracic wall that requires surgical reconstruction. The demographic development in Germany leads to a shift in injury pattern. Low-energy trauma results have lower incidence than higher-grade chest wall injuries with penetrating rib fractures in the pleura, lungs, peri-/myocardium and diaphragm. Sometimes this results in instability of the chest wall with severe restriction of respiratory mechanics, which leads to fulminant pneumonia and even ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome). With this background, surgical chest wall reconstruction has become increasingly important over the past decade. Together with the underlying strong evidence, the assessment of the extend and severity of the trauma and the degree of respiratory impairment are the basis for a structured decision on a non-surgical or surgical-reconstructive strategy, as well as the timing, type and extent of surgery. Early surgery within 72 hours can reduce morbidity (pneumonia rate, duration of intensive care and ventilation) and mortality. In the following article, evidence-based algorithms for surgical and non-operative strategies are discussed in the context on the management of severe thoracic injuries. Thus, a selective literature search was carried out for the leading publications on indications, treatment strategy and therapy recommendations for severe thoracic injury, chest wall reconstruction.