SPIRAL CHEST CT DURING PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS AND INTENSIVE-CARE FOLLOWINGMULTIPLE TRAUMA

The performance of a rapid spiral chest CT scan during primary diagnos is and intensive care leads, in a high percentage of cases, to clinica lly relevant diagnoses. In particular, occult ventral (tension-) pneum othoraces and lung contusions have been found in one third of polytrau matized patients both initially and during the sequential course. Addi tional insertion of chest tubes has been observed to be the major cons equence.