[Thoracic traumas and wounds in Libreville. Therapeutic aspects. Apropos of 106 cases].

106 cases of trauma and chest wounds have been treated at the Jeanne Ebori Foundation from 1980 to 1990. They involved 90 men (85%) and 16 women (16%) with an average age of 35. The prevalent etiology was road accidents 55 (52%), followed by assaults 30 (28%). 22 blade wounds and 12 bullet wounds required coordinated surgical and intensive care at resuscitation. 19 pleuro-mediastinal spills, 8 intra-thoracic lesions with 6 vascular wounds and 1 heart wound. Surgical treatment required 13 immediate thoracotomies and in 3 cases with 1 associated laparotomy. We recorded 8 deaths (7%), 75 healings without consequences (71%) and 23 healings with consequences (22%). We noted the extreme gravity of the penetrating wounds especially bullet wounds, as well as that of the poly-traumatisms. This picture requires complex resuscitation management with surgical relays in a precarious respiratory context.