RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Study of traumatic extrathoracic lesions associated with lung contusions JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP p2402 VO 38 IS Suppl 55 A1 Voicu Voiculescu A1 Ovidiu Burlacu A1 Gabriel Cozma A1 Calin Tunea A1 Iris Miron A1 Alexandru Nicodin YR 2011 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2402.abstract AB Objectives: This study brings an original contribution in setting some extrathoracic lesion associations according to lung contusions' extent, aspects that have not been fully discussed in the medical literature.Methods: We analyze 253 lung contusion cases, from the point of view of 89 variable categories, within the context of 1353 thoracic traumas. The data were analyzed by the statistical processing system SPSS 15.0 for Windows.Results: This study proves that the cranial traumas are associated with extensive lung contusions (Chi-Square Tests 0,464), while the upper limb traumas are associated with limited lung contusions (Chi-Square Tests 0,711). Abdominal traumas are also associated with limited lung contusions (Chi-Square Tests 0,862). This aspects suggest a certain pattern in lung contusion induction, and they represent important etiopathogenical elements.The clinical use of the results has an improved prognostic capacity according to the described associations. The existence of an extrathoracic lesion warns on a possible lung contusion of a certain extension and it justifies subsequent various radiological investigations in order to make it evident in complicated cases.Conclusions: According to this study data, cranial traumas are frequently associated with extensive lung contusions in polytrauma cases. If the lung contusion is not shown by the first thoracic radiography, subsequent Rx studies or CT scans are needed, especially in the complicated cases.