Chest, GU, Abdomen Flashcards
What is a blunt trauma?
Skin unbroken
Hidden injuries
What is penetrating trauma?
Wound present, may or may not have entrance and exit wound
Low, medium, and high velocity
What is cavitation with a gunshot?
The bullet rapidly forces a large gas pocket in the body which then rapidly collapses as the organs collide
What are we doing when we apply pressure to a bleeding wound?
Squash the vasculature
What to do for an open chest wound?
ABC management
High flow O2
BVM ventilations
chest seal/occlusive dressing
What is a sucking chest wound? How do you identify it?
Air goes through a wound into the thoracic pleural space
Sucking sounds from the wound
Major bleeding
________ the limbs
________ the junctions
________ the box
tourniquet
pack
seal
What injury causes flail chest?
Break of two or more ribs in two or more places
What to do for flail chest?
Assist ventilations with BVM
High flow O2
When are the only two scenarios to remove an impaled object?
Interferes significantly with airway management
Interferes with CPR
What do we do to stabilize a small impaled obect?
Place a rolled gauze on each side of the object and wrap it up
What’s the difference between a pneumothorax and a hemothorax? S/S of each?
Pneumothorax is air in the pleural space
JVD, hollow to percussion, tension pneumothorax ->hypotension
Hemothorax is blood in the pleural space
Flat neck veins, dull to percussion
Common to both
Respiratory distress
Diminished/absent lung sounds
What does Beck’s triad refer to? What is it?
Cardiac tamponade
JVD, muffled heart sounds, narrowing pulse pressure (hypotension)
What causes cardiac tamponade?
Pressure on the pericardial sack
What is a more significant MOI and why, a high rib fracture or a low rib fracture?
High rib fracture. This takes a larger force
What is subcutaneous emphysema?
Air is leaking from the lung to the tissue underneath the skin, causing a rice-crispy feeling when the skin is pressed on
What is commotio cordis?
Sudden cardiac arrest following a blunt force to the chest
What to do for commotio cordis?
High quality CPR and early defibrillation
What is eviceration?
Organs and intestines leaving the abdomen through a large laceration
What is the largest concern with eviceration (besides the organs outside of the body) and how do we combat it?
Infection
Flush with normal saline (NS) or sterile water
Cover with wet gauze
Cover with a bandage or occlusive dressing (to keep moist and to keep body fluids from dripping)
Transport with legs flexed to relax chest wall and abdominal wall
Why is injury to the solid organs more serious than with hollow organs?
Solid organs are more vascular and will result in more bleeding
What is a consideration with genitalia trauma?
Very vascular
What do we need to remember for bleeding control of the genitalia (especially females)?
Only control bleeding with gauze from the outside. Never pack wounds (NEVER the vaginal cavity)
What is reffered pain?
Pain in a site different than the affected area
