Pediatric Emergency − Blunt Chest Trauma

An 11 year-old boy, who was riding his bike und wearing a safety helmet had been hit by a car in a head-on collision. The prehospital emergency health care included intubation and application of an unilateral thoracic drain. During the transportation into the next hospital cardiopulmonary resuscitation had to be implemented. Despite the recumbent thorax drain, the primary diagnostic revealed a persisting pneumothorax which made the immediate application of a larger sized thoracic drainage necessary. Following, circulation and vital signs improved. Blunt thoracic traumata most commonly represent a prehospital threat to the vital functions of accident caualties. Therefore it has to be claimed, that all physicians practicing as emergency doctors have to bei certain with the correct indication and application of thoracic drains also in children.