Blunt injuries to the chest

Abstract Thoracic trauma accounts for 25% of all trauma fatalities in the UK. Blunt injury to the chest can affect any component of the chest wall and thoracic cavity. Mortality is high because of associated multi-system injuries. The most common cause is high-speed road traffic accidents, which result in deceleration injury and compression forces. This contribution discusses the initial management, investigations and definitive management of blunt injuries to the chest.