Quantitation and pattern of parenchymal lung injury in blunt chest trauma. Diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Sixty-nine patients with nonpenetrating pulmonary trauma were studied by chest computed tomography (CT) within 24 hours of admission. The percentage of air-space filling was quantitated and compared with the requirement for ventilatory support. Pulmonary intraalveolar hemorrhage always is gravity dependent originating at the site of injury. Utilizing CT, the patients' pulmonary status was classified into three separate clinicoradiologic groups: Grade I injury (less than 18% air-space filling, no ventilator support required), Grade II injury (18-28% air-space filling, ventilator support sometimes required), and Grade III injury (greater than 28 air-space filling, ventilator support always required). The CT quantitation correlated with clinical functional studies and was useful in the therapeutic management of nonpenetrating lung injury.