Trauma doctors giving their all to save a life!!
The patient above got stabbed in chest during a fight. At the emergency department, he was intubated but shortly after went into pulseless electrical activity The need for immediate operation was clinically obvious at presentation and an emergency clamshell thoracotomy was performed, which essentially gives access to repair the aorta that was lacerated in the attack. The thoracotomy was performed by making a wide incision extending across the chest, along the fourth intercostal space from midaxillary to midaxillary and through the sternum. The thoracic cavity was then exposed by means of a sternal retractor placed at both ends of the cut sternum. The wound was packed during the procedure to slow down the rapid exsanguination during the traumatic arrest. Overall, clamshell incision is a good first choice for ED thoracotomy. It provides a rapid and easy access to all structures within the thoracic cavity with one incision; improved visualisation, assessment and identification of injuries within the thorax; and quick manipulation of the thoracic structures. Injuries of this nature are rarely survivable. The repair was successful and the patient survived closure. Photo by @dirtdoc8404
