Saving the life of a patient with a punctured lung due to a broken rib fragment

Chest CT scan of patient V.D.Q. shows pneumothorax, hemothorax with a piece of rib piercing the lung parenchyma. Photo: QUANG CHUONG

Male patient V.D.Q. (63 years old, Tam Hoa commune, Nui Thanh district) was admitted to the hospital with chest pain after a traffic accident. There were no external injuries, only minor scratches on the skin.

After that, the patient had increasing chest pain, pain and did not dare to breathe, in a state of respiratory failure, chest X-ray image did not show any other abnormalities other than fractures of ribs VI, VII, VII. The patient had a chest CT scan and recorded pneumothorax, hemothorax with an image of a rib fragment piercing the lung parenchyma.

The patient was consulted for emergency surgery. After more than 1 hour of complete thoracoscopic surgery, the broken rib fragments were removed, the puncture in the lung parenchyma was sutured, the bleeding was stopped and the pleural cavity was cleaned. The patient was stable and discharged after 5 days of treatment.

Dr. Duong Chi Luc - Head of General Planning Department, Quang Nam Central General Hospital shared that the lungs are the main respiratory organs of the body, along with the trachea and bronchi, performing the function of oxygen exchange, ensuring the survival of cells in the body. The lungs are located in the chest and are protected by the thoracic cavity with 12 pairs of ribs.

“In the above case, the broken ribs punctured the lungs. Due to the expansion and contraction of the breathing movements, the lung tear became wider and wider, the lungs had many stab wounds, the damage became more serious, and the bleeding was severe, which would be life-threatening if not treated promptly,” said Dr. Luc.

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/cuu-song-benh-nhan-bi-chan-thuong-thung-phoi-do-manh-gay-cua-xuong-suon-3151881.html