Chest Injuries Flashcards
what are the most common rib fractures
3-8
if there is a fracture to ribs 8-12 what else may be damaged?
spleen, kidney or liver
what rib fractures have a high mortality rate and why?
1 and 2 because of the forces required to fracture these ribs
What are the sings and symptoms of fractured ribs?
Pain upon movement shallow breathing crepitus deformity local tenderness hypoventilations potential for pneumothorax/heamothorax
What is a flail chest?
When 2 or more ribs are fractured to produce a free moving segment
causes paradoxical moment when breathing. It can also occur if the sternum is fractures
What are the sings and symptoms of a flail chest?
pain with movement decreased ventilatory volume potential pneumo/heamothorax lung contusion potential (flared sternum) -cardiac tamponade or traumatic asphyxia
What is an open pneumothorax?
Hole in the chest wall and involves lung collapse on inspiration but expands only slightly on expiration
when will air pass through the hole rather than the diameter
if the hole is > 2/3 diameter, air passes through it rather than the trachea
Sings and symptoms of open pneumothorax
Decreased breath sounds on affected side respiratory distress pain air bubbling from wound heamotomis
What do we do with an open pneumothorax?
Basics
DRABCD
do not occult the wound
cover with appropriate dressing if required only for heamorrage
What is a pneumothorax?
Air in the plural space which affects lung begins to collapse as pleural space expands
What are the causes of a pneumothroax?
Spontaeous (lung bleb/tall skinny)
Trauma- rib
What history would you expect for a pneumothorax?
Sudden onset of pain
SOB on exertion or SOB at rest
What are the sings of a pneumothorax?
Pain Decreased breath sounds not always Respiratory rate normal to increased Respitroy distress on exertion- at rest Sometimes unremarkable
What is the treatment for a pneumothorax?
Basics
Monitor vital sings
Respiratory status assessment
Oxygen and pain management if necessary
What is a heamothroac?
Blood in the pleural space
How much blood can each side of the chest hold?
2500-3000ml of blood
what are the causes of a traumatic heamothorax?
Can come from the damage to any structures in the thoracic cavity: lungs, intercostal vessels, heart
Or abdominal structures (liver, spleen) when the diaphragm is ruptured
What are patients at risk for if they have a heamothorax?
Heamodynamically unstable due to loss of intravascular volume
- compromised central venous return due to increased pressure
- lung compression due to massive blood accumulation
- respiratory compromise
What are the sings and symptoms of a heamothroax?
Related more to blood loss than lung collapse Pain resp distress absent/decreased breath sounds blood pressure drop
What is the treatment for a heamotorax?
Basics
oxygen
Watch PSA and RSA
Hypovolemic heammorage CPG
What are the three patterns of blunt cardiac injury?
Myocardial contusion
Electrical conduction system
Myocardial rupture
Why is the right ventricle usually injured in blunt cardiac chest trauma?
because it is located behind the sternum
What may be the only clue that there is a blunt cardiac injury?
tachycardia out of proportion with the other injuries
what are the sings and symptoms of a blunt cardiac chest injury?
Chest pain similar to MI palpitations Dysrhythmias - sinus tachycardia - PAC/PVC/RBBB/AVNB ECG changes- ST segment, T-wave
What is the treatment for a blunt cardiac chest injury?
Basics- DRABCD
Rule out MI prior to motor vehicle collision
watch for ECG changes
What is the pathophysiology of cardiac (pericardial) tamponade?
Collection of blood between heart and pericardium
blood can be from coronary arteries or myocardium
How much blood can the pericardiumm hold? when will symptoms start developing?
Can hold up to 200ml of blood
SS after about 20-30ml of blood