Down a Slippery Slope

Trauma is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. Although chest trauma represents less than 10% of all pediatric traumas, it accounts for 14% of all pediatric trauma-related deaths. Thoracic trauma includes injuries to the chest wall, lungs, heart, tracheobronchial tree, diaphragm, and aorta. The most common injuries include pneumothorax, hemothorax, pulmonary contusion, and rib fractures. Sternal fractures occur less commonly and may be seen in cases of isolated or severe chest trauma. Although chest trauma may result from a direct force and therefore result in an isolated injury, when present, it is most often secondary to an extreme mechanism and associated with other clinically significant injuries.