Epidemiological Profile of Thoracic Trauma in Brazil: A Systematic Review

Ab s t r Ac t Background: One of the main injuries found in traumatized patients is thoracic trauma (TT) and corresponds to 25% of deaths in polytrauma patients. According to the World Health Organization, more than nine people die per minute from some type of trauma, with an expense equivalent to 12% for all diseases. Materials and methods: This is a study that addresses the epidemiology of TT in Brazil through a systematic review of the literature on TT in Brazil, conducted in electronic databases following the guidelines of Preferred Notification Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Exclusion criteria were: case reports of other causes of trauma, animal studies, literature reviews, and studies that did not cover chest trauma. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 was used to analyze the results. Results: Initially, 760 studies were found, of which 36 articles were selected as relevant to the study on the epidemiological characteristics of TT. With a high global prevalence, trauma is considered a public health problem, associated with high morbidity and mortality, in developed and developing countries. Interpretation: The Southeast Region had greater statistical relevance (p = 0.033) for mechanisms and causes of TT. The penetrating chest trauma [gunshot wounds (GSW) and stab wounds (SW)], showed greater statistical relevance in the South (p = 0.04) and Midwest (p = 0.04), among the other regions, the value was (p ≥ 0.5).