Penetrating injuries of the chest

Penetrating trauma to the chest can result in significant injury to the person involved and a serious burden to the healthcare service. Survival is determined by the nature of the injury and the impact with varying outcomes. Chest drainage is a key intervention which is both diagnostic and therapeutic in penetrating chest trauma. Thoracotomy can be life saving both as a resuscitative thoracotomy as well as urgent thoracotomy. The evolving investigations and interventions avoid unnecessary thoracotomies. Whilst life-saving thoracotomies can be performed by trauma surgeons and emergency doctors, complex injuries and sequelae of trauma are best managed by specialist cardiothoracic surgeons.