Impalement injury to chest due to bamboo stick

Abstract

Impalement injuries are rare. We present here a case of impalement injury of chest and its management. A 10-year-old boy fell from a tree and landed on pointed bamboo object. He was diagnosed as a case of impalement injury with right-sided pneumothorax. A right anterolateral thoracotomy with removal of foreign body and repair of lung laceration was done. The patient in the postoperative period remained stable. He was discharged on day 10. Thoracic impalement injuries are dangerous injuries because of close proximity of the impaled objects to the heart and major vessel. The impaled object should be left as such and an urgent transfer to a facility dealing with such type of injury is required. A thoracotomy incision based on the tract should be employed. Postoperative patient should be put on broad-spectrum antibiotic along with chest physiotherapy.