Chest Trauma Flashcards
What are the 2 major types of chest trauma?
blunt and penetrating
name the life threatening injuries r/t chest trauma
hypoxemia
hypovolemia
cardiac failure
def blunt trauma
force impaction onto chest
def flail chest trauma
multiple fractures in more than 1 place with floating ribs and jagged edges
def pulmonary contusion
bruise trauma that causes enough injury significan enough to affect oxygenation
what is the least kind of blunt chest trauma?
flail chest trauma
what is the rarest form of chest trauma?
flail chest trauma
name the different kinds of penetrating chest traumas
gunshots/stab wounds
pneumothorax
cardiac tamponade
subcutaneous emphysema
what is pneumothorax
loss of negative pressure that results in lung collapse
what is cardiac tamponade
blood in the pericardial sac that constricts the heart from pumping and soffocates it
does a cardiac tamponade occur slowly or quickly
can occur slowly but most often occurs quickly
when does a cardiac tamponade occur
usually after cardiac surgery
what is subcutaneous emphysema
when the subcutaeous layer is filled with trapped air
upon inspection, what will subcu emphysema look like
imflammation and swelling, red at the source of infection
what intervention will be done for subcu emphys?
sometimes we put another chest tube in, but sometimes we leave it alone bc the body will absorb the extra air
assessment of chest trauma
time mechanism of injury responsiveness specific injuries estimated blood loss recent alcohol use pre-hospital tx diagnostics
when oxygenation is compromised, which system is the first to respond?
respiratory system
how soon does the respiratory system take to start kicking in to fix the acid base disturbance?
immediately
chest trauma mgmt
****airway*** need for O2 reestablish fluid vol reestablish negative pressure (chest tube) drainage of intrapleural fluid/blood
def hemothorax
accumulation of blood in the pleural space
def tension pneumothorax
air becomes trapped in one lung and causes a mediastinal and tracheal shift to another lung
what is the intervention for a tension pneumothorax?
needle decompression in the original lung
what is the intervention for hemothorax
blood must be drained via chest tube
how will you notice a flail chest trauma?
broken ribs will move assymmetrically to normal breathing pattern
