All chapters
Trauma · Chapter 23 Not started
Chest Trauma
Rib fractures to sucking chest wounds — injuries that compromise breathing and circulation together.
Key points
- Chest trauma threatens both breathing and circulation; tree and tower impacts are the classic patrol mechanism.
- An open ('sucking') chest wound gets an occlusive dressing per protocol; monitor closely for tension building.
- Tension pneumothorax: escalating distress, absent breath sounds on one side, distended neck veins, tracheal shift (late) — a true load-and-go.
- Flail chest (multiple ribs broken in multiple places) shows paradoxical movement; support ventilation and the segment.
- Simple rib fractures hurt with breathing — encourage deep breaths despite pain (splinting the chest with shallow breathing invites pneumonia); no tight circumferential wraps.
- Any chest-injured patient gets ongoing reassessment — these injuries evolve.
Knowledge check1 / 3