RESULTS
Our database identified 158 consecutive adult trauma
patients admitted from January through March 2005.
Forty-eight patients were excluded from the study; 25
were excluded because of incomplete data or scout image;
23 patients did not have a chest CT scan during the
initial evaluation or the CT scan was not available for
viewing. Of the 110 patients included in the study, four
had clavicles that were measured on one side only—
two patients on the right side and two patients on the
left side. Therefore, the total number of measurements
was 108 on the left and right sides.
The inclusion group consisted of 82 male (75%) and
28 female (25%) patients. There were 25, 40, and 45 patients
in the January, February,andMarch study groups,
respectively. The average age was 43.5 years (range, 18
to 85 years). The average Injury Severity Score (ISS) was
17, (range, 1 to 57). The average chest wall thickness on
the right side was 4.5 ± 1.5 cm and on the left side was
4.1 ± 1.4 cm (Fig. 2). The average chest wall thickness
was 4.04 cm for male patients and 5.14 cm for female
patients. Fifty-five of 110 patients, or 50% (95% confidence
interval [CI] = 40.7–59.3%), had at least one side
of the chest with thickness greater than 4.4 cm.