Imaging Chest Trauma

Abstract

Trauma is the third leading cause of death in the USA and the leading cause of death for those under 40 years of age. Approximately 25% of trauma deaths result from thoracic injuries. In the USA each year, more than 300,000 patients are hospitalized and more than 25,000 die as a consequence of chest trauma [1, 2, 3]. Blunt trauma accounts for 90% of chest trauma and the most common causes of blunt trauma are motor-vehicle collisions and falls [4, 5].