15 Facts About Pulmonary contusion

Pulmonary contusion, known as lung contusion, is a bruise of the lung, caused by chest trauma.

Pulmonary contusion is usually caused directly by blunt trauma but can result from explosion injuries or a shock wave associated with penetrating trauma.

Pulmonary contusion is associated with complications including pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and it can cause long-term respiratory disability.

However, pulmonary contusion is frequently associated with signs and symptoms, including those indicative of the lung injury itself and of accompanying injuries.

Pulmonary contusion can be caused by explosions; the organs most vulnerable to blast injuries are those that contain gas, such as the lungs.

Unlike other mechanisms of injury in which pulmonary contusion is often found alongside other injuries, explosions can cause pulmonary contusion without damage to the chest wall.

Pulmonary contusion is characterized by microhemorrhages that occur when the alveoli are traumatically separated from airway structures and blood vessels.

CT scanning helps determine the size of a Pulmonary contusion, which is useful in determining whether a patient needs mechanical ventilation; a larger volume of contused lung on CT scan is associated with an increased likelihood that ventilation will be needed.

Attempts are made to discover injuries accompanying the Pulmonary contusion, to prevent additional injury, and to provide supportive care while waiting for the Pulmonary contusion to heal.

People with pulmonary contusion who are especially likely to need ventilation include those with prior severe lung disease or kidney problems; the elderly; those with a lowered level of consciousness; those with low blood oxygen or high carbon dioxide levels; and those who will undergo operations with anesthesia.

Pulmonary contusion is thought to be the direct cause of death in a quarter to a half of people with multiple injuries who die.

Pulmonary contusion is the most common cause of death among vehicle occupants involved in accidents, and it is thought to contribute significantly in about a quarter of deaths resulting from vehicle collisions.

Differences in the bodies of children and adults lead to different manifestations of pulmonary contusion and associated injuries; for example, children have less body mass, so the same force is more likely to lead to trauma in multiple body systems.

Hooker showed that pulmonary contusion was an important part of the concussive injury that results from explosions.

Pulmonary contusion received further attention during World War II, when the bombings of Britain caused blast injuries and associated respiratory problems in both soldiers and civilians.