[Chest Trauma In Bouaké (Côte d'Ivoire): Epidemiological, Clinical And CT Aspects].

AIM: Contributing to the improvement of chest trauma care.

OBJECTIVE

Identifying post-traumatic chest CT lesions.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Retrospective study conducted at the Bouaké Medical Imaging Centre from January 2019 to December 2021, i.e. over a period of three years. It involved 103 patients with chest trauma in Bouaké who underwent CT scans. Epidemiological and clinical parameters and CT scan findings were analysed.

RESULTS

The average age of patients was 33 years, with extremes of 2 and 89 years. Males predominated in 78% of cases, with a sex ratio of 3.57. In 76.3% of cases, the patients were victims of road traffic accidents (RTAs). Chest injuries were closed in the majority of cases (94%). Parietal lesions were observed in 87.4% of cases. Rib fractures accounted for 87.4%. These fractures were multiple in 70% of cases. Haemothorax, pulmonary contusion and pneumomediastinum accounted for 25.2%, 28% and 7.7% of chest injuries, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Computed tomography is the appropriate examination for the management of chest trauma, especially in the context of multiple trauma. Rigorous technique and interpretation would ensure a comprehensive study, preventing potential injuries from being overlooked.