Chest Injuries

Question 1

Heart attack

Answer 1

• CRUSHING chest, neck and back pain
• pain in left arm/ shoulder (men)
• pain in back or jaw (women)
• shortness of breath
• weakness
• stomach pain

*** Give aspirin and/or nitro

Question 2

Angina

Answer 2

Heavy pressure on the chest

*** give aspirin and/or nitro

• nitro doesn’t work with unstable angina

Question 3

Acute Myocardial Infarction

Answer 3

SAME THING AS HEART ATTACK

• Chest and back pain / tightness
• sweating
• nausea and vomiting

** give aspirin and/or nitro

Question 4

Pulmonary embolism (PE)

Answer 4

• difficulty breathing (respiratory)
• coughing up blood

*** give O2

Question 5

Aortic dissection

Answer 5

• Tearing chest and back pain that radiates between shoulders
• difference in BP between arms > 20 mmHg

** give O2

DO NOT GIVE ANY ASPIRIN OR NITRO

Question 6

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Answer 6

• Severe chest pain that radiates to stomach
• difference in BP between arms or legs > 20 mmHg

*** give O2

DO NOT GIVE ASPIRIN OR NITRO

Question 7

COPD

Answer 7

• shortness of breath
• wheezing or ronchi
• chest tightness
• chronic cough maybe with mucous

*** give O2 and prescribed inhaler

Question 8

Tension pneumothorax

Answer 8

• trachea moved
• JDV
• absent lung sounds in affected lung

*** occlusive dressing and O2

Question 9

Pericardial tamponade

Answer 9

• Beck’s triad (low BP, JVD, muffled lung sounds / ronchi)
• chest, neck and back pain that radiates to shoulders
• increased HR

*** give O2

Question 10

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Answer 10

• Rails (crackles or bubbles = fluid around heart)
• shortness of breath
• swollen legs

*** give O2 or CPAP

Question 11

Cystic Fibrosis

Answer 11

• ronchi (muffled/ snore = mucus in the alveoli)
• cough
• thin patient

*** Give O2