A<unk>  is indicated when severe injuries within the thoracic cavity (such as hemorrhage) prevent the physiologic functions needed to sustain life. The injury may also affect a specific organ such as the heart, which can develop an air embolism or a cardiac tamponade (which prevents the heart from beating properly). Other indications for the use of this procedure would be the appearance of blood from a<unk>  tube placed that returns more than 1000-1500 mL of blood, or ≥200 mL of blood per hour. For<unk>  to be indicated, signs of life must also be present, including cardiac electrical activity and a systolic blood pressure >70 mm Hg. In blunt trauma, if signs of life, such as eye dilatation, are found en route to the hospital by first responders, but not found when the patient arrives, then further<unk>  interventions are contraindicated; however; when first responders find signs of life and cardiopulmonary resuscitation time is under 15 minutes, the procedure is indicated. The use of a focused assessment with sonography for trauma may be performed to determine the need of the procedure by finding free floating fluid in the thoracic cavity.
Resuscitative thoracotomy
Percutaneous transtracheal ventilation
Thoracotomy
Corticotomy
Pulmonary tractotomy
Thoracostomy
Extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Tracheal intubation