Chest Trauma

Question 1

Blunt trauma

Answer 1

Occurs when the chest strikes or is struck by an object
Impact can cause deceleration, acceleration, shearing, and compression of thoracic structures
Although external injury may be minor, internally, the organs may have severe injuries
Injuries can occur on the same side as the impact or on the opposite side of the impact as the tissue moves back and forth
Rib and sternal fractures can lacerate lung tissue
In a high-velocity impact the shearing force may result in laceration or tearing of the aorta
Compression of the chest may result in contusion, crush injury, or organ rupture
Example: being pinned between two types of heavy machinery (e.g. a fork life and a semi-truck)

Question 2

Penetrating trauma

Answer 2

Open injury in which a foreign object impales or passes through the body tissues
Results in an open wound
Example: a gunshot wound to the chest

Question 3

pneumothorax

Answer 3

is a complete or partial collapse of a lung as a result of an accumulation of air in the pleural space

Question 4

Open pneumothorax

Answer 4

Air entering through an opening in the chest wall

May occur from a penetrating trauma that allows air to enter the pleural space

Question 5

Closed pneumothorax

Answer 5

No external wound

Suspect after any blunt trauma to chest wall

Question 6

Spontaneous pneumothorax

Answer 6

Occurs as a result of the rupture of small blebs (air-filled blisters) located on the apex of the lung

Question 7

Tension pneumothorax

Answer 7

Occurs when air enters the pleural space but cannot escape from either an open or a closed pneumothorax.

Question 8

Hemothorax

Answer 8

Occurs when blood accumulates in the pleural space resulting from injury to the chest wall, diaphragm, lung, blood vessels, or mediastinum

Question 9

Flail chest

Answer 9

Results from multiple rib fractures, causing instability of the chest wall

The affected (flail) area will move paradoxically to the intact portion of the chest during respiration; during inspiration, the affected portion is sucked in, and during expiration, it bulges out.

Question 10

Fractured Ribs

Answer 10

• Most common type of chest injury resulting from trauma
• Ribs 5 through 10 are most commonly fractured because they are least protected by chest muscles.

Clinical manifestations
• Pain (especially on inspiration) at the site of injury
• Main goal in treatment is to decrease pain so that the client can breathe adequately to promote good chest expansion.