Hewlett has updated this monograph on thoraco-abdominal trauma first published by Lawrence Shefts in 1956. The original version represented a distillation of Sheft's considerable wartime (WW II) experience. To this Hewlett, a retired army thoracic surgeon, has added a chapter on tracheobronchial injuries and a number of newer, pertinent references. The result is a sound guide to the management of this highly specialized area of trauma.
Physicians assuming initial care of patients with thoracic or thoracoabdominal wounds should have a clear concept of normal and disordered physiology, an ability to think and to act rapidly and correctly, and broad surgical experience in general and thoracic surgery. This monograph cannot bestow these virtues; its value lies in an orderly presentation that can hone the edge of existing skills.
There are some weak points in this revision. In discussing the airway during resuscitation, the author fails to mention use of the endotracheal