Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury

Abstract

Blunt thoracic aortic injury (BTAI) still poses a challenge for physicians due to its high risk of

fatality, difficulty in diagnosis, and involvement of other serious injuries. Recently, major

advancement in the diagnostic and treatment modalities for such an injury has occurred, which

have dramatically changed the way the injuries are managed. However, a large number of the

patients with BTAI will likely not benefit from these advances because a significant amount of these

patients with BTAI do not reach the hospital alive, most dying at a trauma scene, during a transfer

to the hospital, or at the emergency department of a hospital. Significantly, the survival rate of the

patients who are treated at hospitals with trauma centers is higher than that at hospitals without

trauma centers. However, pre-hospital medical intervention may not play a significant role in

changing these injuries, except for effective road safety measures for motor vehicle collision and

car safety designs, for prevention BTAI from occurring.

Keywords: blunt thoracic aortic injury, forensic pathology, sudden death, trauma center