Interventional radiology in thoracic trauma

Interventional radiology (IR) has a central role in the management of certain injuries arising from both blunt and penetrating thoracic trauma. In this article we focus on blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) and the role of IR in the treatment of this patient cohort.

BTAI is rare, accounting for approximately 1.5% of all thoracic trauma; however, it is a leading cause of trauma-related death in young adults, second to neurotrauma. Post-mortem studies estimate the incidence of BTAI to be between 13-20%. Several studies over the last four decades have estimated the pre-hospital mortality rates in patients with BTAI to be 80-86%. Following hospitalisation, mortality continues to be significant at 46%.

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