A Non-Fatal Impalement Injury to the Right Thorax: A Case Report

Impalement injuries secondary to motor vehicle collisions are rare. Reviewing the systematic approach to treating these injuries can benefit the surgical community. This case report discusses the presentation and management of a 32-year-old male who was involved in a high-speed, roll-over motor vehi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-01, Vol.15 (1), p.e33517
Main Authors: Mann, Adam J, Lottenberg, Lawrence, Azar, Faris, Hus, Nir
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antibiotics
Bone surgery
Brachial plexus
Cardiac/Thoracic/Vascular Surgery
Case reports
Clinical outcomes
Debridement
Disease prevention
Emergency medical care
General Surgery
Injuries
Ostomy
Pneumothorax
Tetanus
Thorax
Tomography
Trauma
Trauma centers
Vehicles
Veins & arteries
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Summary:Impalement injuries secondary to motor vehicle collisions are rare. Reviewing the systematic approach to treating these injuries can benefit the surgical community. This case report discusses the presentation and management of a 32-year-old male who was involved in a high-speed, roll-over motor vehicle collision. The car struck a chain-link fence, and the unrestrained passenger sustained a fence post impalement injury to his right thorax. He was alert and oriented when emergency services arrived. He was extricated rapidly and transported to our level-one trauma center, where he received definitive operative management. The patient survived the injury and was discharged home. This case highlights key points in the systematic approach to impalement injuries, including minimal handling of the impaled object, expedient transfer to the local trauma center, emergent operative intervention, vascular control prior to removal of the foreign object, and aggressive irrigation and debridement of the wound.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.33517