Lung Contusion—A Chimera

A review of 25 consecutive cases of acute trauma with lung contusion as a final diagnosis revealed many variations in clinical course. Of the 25 patients, 1 had mild (Group 1) contusion; 16 had moderate (Group 2) contusion, 1 of whom died. Severe (Group 3) contusion occurred in 8 cases, of whom 4 died. Group 3 patients were the most difficult to distinguish from those with other causes of acute respiratory failure. Shock, hypoxia, and invasive sepsis played increasingly contributory roles in the outcomes of patients with severe lung contusion.