Background: Computed tomography of the chest (CTC) is more sensitive than conventional roentgenography at detecting blunt thoracic injuries. Its effect on subsequent therapy remains incompletely characterized.
Methods: Nine criteria believed to represent the presence of, or the potential for, significant thoracic injuries were defined, and patients were followed prospectively. Forty consecutive patients had CTC after initial evaluation. Physiologic and anatomic findings were compared, and the effect of CTC on therapy was analyzed.
Results: CTC detected 76 injuries not found on plain roentgenograms, and plain roentgenograms detected 25 injuries not visible on CTC scans. Six patients had therapy changes based on CTC findings, five of which involved chest tube modification. The percentage of pulmonary contusion did not predict the need for mechanical ventilation but did correlate with physiologic contusion.
Conclusions: Blunt thoracic injuries detected by CTC infrequently require immediate therapy. If immediate therapy is needed, findings will be visible on plain roentgenograms or on clinical exam. Routine CTC in blunt trauma is not recommended but may be helpful in selected cases.