Ventilatory treatment of flail chest together with pulmonary contusion

Objective To evaluate the early therapeutic effect on flail chest together with pulmonary contusion by non-injury positive pressure ventilation(NIPPV).Methods Twenty-nine patients with flail chest with pulmonary contusion treated with NIPPV by using the ventilator Bear1000 were analysed retrospectively.Two groups were established:the one treated with NIPPV was called the non-injuried group and the other one treated with ventilator by way of tracheal intubation was called the injuried group.Results There were no death in all the patients.Compared with the injuried group,it is effective to treat the entity with NIPPV not only improving the Pa0 2 、Pa0 2 /Sa0 2 but also shortening the duration of ventilatory support and the average stay in ICU.Conclusion The respiratory and cardiac functions are affected by the flail chest and pulmonary contusion.It is recommended to use mechanical ventilation especially NIPPV,chest wall fixation and adrenocortical hormone to treat the flail chest together with pulmonary contusion.