Definition of Lung Contusion
Fig 3: Lung contusion
A lung contusion is a bruised lung and this is unlikely to be missed radiologically unless the CXR is early.
A lung contusion is potentially life-threatening since:
- The patient is at risk of hypoxaemia
- Associated injuries are common because of the force involved to cause the injury
- An injured lung is vulnerable to flooding from aggressive fluid resuscitation
Patients with co-morbidities and/or advanced age are particularly at risk from this injury.
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