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Rapid identification of acute traumatic aortic injury can be challenging in multi-injured trauma patients. In a two-part retrospective study, researchers in Spain used physical examination and chest x-ray findings to develop and then validate a scoring system to identify patients with blunt chest trauma and injury severity scores >15 who are at risk for acute traumatic aortic injury.
The derivation cohort comprised 380 patients (76 with aortic injury and 304 without) from a single center and the validation cohort comprised 260 patients (52 with aortic injury and 208 without) from three centers. In logistic regression analysis, predictors of aortic injury were widened mediastinum, blood pressure <90 mm Hg, lung contusion, hemothorax, and frac…