Injury to the chest wall can be graded based on the nature and the extent of injuries using the Chest Wall Injury Scale.
NOTE: The injury graded is that to the chest wall alone and does not include injury to the lung, heart, mediastinum, esophagus, great vessels, diaphragm, etc. These are all graded separately. Grade VI is not warranted based on injury to the chest wall alone.
|
Grade |
Injury Type |
Description of Injury |
|
I |
contusion |
any size |
|
|
laceration |
skin and subcutaneous |
|
|
fracture |
< 3 ribs, closed; nondisplaced clavicles, closed |
|
II |
laceration |
skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle |
|
|
fracture |
>= 3 adjacent ribs, closed; open or displaced clavicle; nondisplaced sternum, closed; scapular body, open or closed |
|
III |
laceration |
full thickness, including pleural penetration |
|
|
fracture |
open or displaced sternum; flail sternum |
|
|
fracture |
unilateral flail segment (< 3 ribs) |
|
IV |
laceration |
avulsion of chest wall tissue with underlying rib fractures |
|
|
fracture |
unilateral flail chest (>= 3 ribs) |
|
V |
fracture |
bilateral flail chest (>= 3 ribs on both sides) |
If there are bilateral injuries, the grade is increased by 1 up to Grade III.
where:
• I am assuming that a Grade II lesion can be upgraded to Grade III, but not Grade III to Grade IV (see Testis Injury Scale).
Specialty: Surgery, orthopedic, Emergency Medicine, Critical Care, Surgery, general, Cardiology
ICD-10: ,
