Impact of blunt pulmonary contusion in polytrauma patients with rib fractures

Background We investigated the impact of blunt pulmonary contusion (BPC) in patients with rib fractures. Methods Adult patients with rib fractures caused by blunt mechanisms were enrolled over 3 years at a Level 1 trauma center. BPC was defined according to percentage of lung affected as: moderate (1–19% contusion) or severe (≥20% contusion). Results In total, 1448 of the 7238 admitted patients had rib fractures. Of these, 321 (22.2%) had BPC:...