Chest Injuries Flashcards
The body’s ability to move air in and out of the chest and lung tissue
Ventilation
The process of delivering oxygen to the blood by diffusion from the alveoli following inhalation into the lungs
Oxygenation
Thoracic cage
Chest
The thoracic cage extends from ___ to the ___
- Where the neck and chest meet
- Diaphragm
In a person who is lying supine or who has just completed exhalation, the diaphragm may rise as high as ___. Thus a penetrating injury to the chest may also penetrate the ___
- The nipple line
- Lung and diaphragm and injure the liver, spleen, or stomach
Why do children belly breath?
The intercostal muscles are not yet developed, so breathing is done with the diaphragm
The intercostal muscles are innervated from?
The spinal nerves originating in the lower cervical or upper thoracic region
Lying on the inferior and slightly posterior part of each rib is the ___, composed of ___
- Neurovascular bundle
- A network of nerves, arteries, and veins
Side of the chest
Hemithorax
Left lobe formation of the lung allows space for the heart to reside
Cardiac notch
Thin membrane that covers each lung and the thoracic cavity
Pleura
The inner chest wall has a lining called the ___
Parietal pleura
The lining on the lungs is called the ___
Visceral pleura
Between the visceral and parietal pleura is ___
A small amount of pleural fluid that allows the lungs to move freely against the inner chest wall
Pleural fluid also creates ___ to allow the lungs to adhere to the rib cage
Surface tension
The trachea divides into the ___
Left and right mainstem bronchi
Effect of the intercostal muscles contracting
Elevates and expands the rib cage
Effect of the diaphragm contracting
Increases the inferior-superior diameter of the chest
The nerves supplying the diaphragm
Phrenic nerves
The phrenic nerves exit the spinal cord at ___
C3, C4, & C5
A patient whose spinal cord is injured below the ___ may lose the power to move the intercostal muscles
C5
Patients with spinal cord injuries at ___ can lose their ability to breath entirely
C3
Amount of air moved into or out of the lungs during a single breath
Tidal volume
Average tidal volume
500 mL
Minute volume
Tidal volume x number of breaths a minute
If the patient is only able to inhale small amounts of air, the patient will need to ___
Exceed the normal respiratory rate to make up the difference in minute volume
Overinflation of the lungs can cause ___
- Gastric distention
- Impair function of the lungs
- Increase intrathoracic pressure
- Reducing cardiac output
- Reducing venous return to the heart
- Worsen chest injuries
- Causing acid-base imbalance by blowing off too much carbon dioxide
Chest injury in which the skin is not broken
Closed chest injury
Closed chest injuries are generally caused by ___
Blunt trauma
Two types of contusions found in chest injuries
- Cardiac contusions
- Pulmonary contusions
Closed chest injuries often cause ___
Significant contusions