J Korean Soc Traumatol.  2007 Jun;20(1):47-51.

Penetrating Chest Injuries Caused by the Sideview Mirror of the Patient's Car: Report of 2 cases

• Kim SS

Abstract

Penetrating chest trauma caused by the components of one's own car is rare in motor vehicle accidents. We experienced two cases of penetrating chest injury caused by the sideview mirror of the patient's vehicle. One was a 25-year-old man. The sideview mirror penetrated the left chest, went through the diaphragm, and ruptured the spleen. He was in shock upon arrival at the emergency room. An emergency thoracotomy and laparotomy were done. The ruptured spleen was resected, the lung and the diaphragm were debrided and repaired, and the chest wall was reconstructed. The other patient was a 57-year-old male, who was transported to our emergency room with the sideview mirror of his truck stuck into his right chest wall as the result of an accident. He also had a right Bennet's fracture and an open fracture of the right tibia. Air had been sucked into the right pleural cavity through the wound. Multiple rib fractures and lung lacerations had also occurred. Removal of the sideview mirror, repair of the lacerated lung, and reconstruction of chest wall were done immediately. Both patients recovered without complication and were discharged.

Keyword

Penetrating Trauma; Chest; Sideview mirror

MeSH Terms

Adult
Diaphragm
Emergencies
Emergency Service, Hospital
Fractures, Open
Humans
Lacerations
Laparotomy
Lung
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Vehicles
Pleural Cavity
Rib Fractures
Shock
Spleen
Thoracic Injuries*
Thoracic Wall
Thoracotomy
Thorax*
Tibia
Wounds and Injuries