Thoracic trauma. Newer concepts.

Thoracic trauma induces pulmonary injury by functional as well as by structural damage. Injury at the cellular level causes changes seen 24 to 48 hours after initial trauma. Treatment should be aimed at stabilizing the patient upon initial presentation, and one should be aware of potential problems that may arise as the injury progresses. An animal with tracheobronchial tree injury is usually presented a few days after the initial injury with a client complaint of dyspnea. The only treatment is surgical repair.