Ventilación mecánica en trauma de tórax severo: aspectos fisiopatológicos y nuevas perspectivas de manejo

Severe chest trauma is a condition whose morbidity and mortality are high; it is accountable for roughly 50% of deaths of polytraumatized patients. The type of ventilatory support that is to be given to the patient who requires it depends in part on important factors such as the mechanism of injury, the patient's previous health condition, and the time of evolution of the trauma. Nonconventional ventilatory modalities, as well as lung-assist devices, have become useful tools with significant impact on the outcome of the patient with severe chest trauma.