Chest injuries can be life threatening and you must rapidly assess the serious of an injury.A person can suffer a chest injury in a number of ways: from blunt trauma (a blow to the chest), a compression injury (which happens when a person's chest hits a steering wheel in a car crash), or a puncture and/or penetration (objects like bullets or knives penetrate the chest wall). A chest injury is either closed, when the skin is intact, or open, when the skin is broken. An open chest wound is always considered life threatening, although a closed chest wound can be just as serious. Read on for some guidelines in assessing a chest injury.
Instructions
Don't panic and remember--safety first!
1. The first rule of responding to an emergency is to protect the rescuer (you) first. After determining that the scene is safe for you to enter, put on gloves, a face shield and safety goggles from your first aid kit. This will protect you against blood-borne pathogens (hepatitis and HIV viruses).
2. Determine the cause of injury. Was the person in a bar fight, an industrial accident or a car crash? Did she fall or was she hit with an object? This will help you assess the seriousness of the injury and the appropriate treatment you need to provide.
3. If the skin is broken, as from a cut, or penetrating object, listen for a 'sucking' sound as the person breathes. This means air is being sucked into the chest cavity through the injury and he will have severe breathing difficulty. Listen for gasping or gurgling noises. You must keep air from entering his chest!
4. Remember not to panic! You will need to seal the open wound immediately, use a gloved hand if you need to. If you have an occlusive dressing (which is a solid surface dressing that won't allow air through), use this to cover the wound. Leave a corner of the dressing unsealed--this will allow the patient to exhale through the dressing.
5. If your patient has been impaled by an object you need to leave it in place. Gently bandage the object in place and secure with a bulky dressing using dressing and wraps from your first aid kit.
6. If the injury is a closed wound (the skin is not broken) look for bruising, swelling or deformity (something that just doesn't look right). Suspect that he may have damage to his heart, or lungs. Try and notice his breathing--do both sides of his chest rise and fall equally, or is one side different? He is at risk for shock, a life threatening conidtion. Signs of shock are:an altered level of conscious; he's "just not with it"pale, ashen or cool skinrapid breathingnausea or vomitingexcessive thirstTo treat for shock keep your patent calm and cover him with a blanket, elevate his feet eight to 10 inches above his heart (unless that's painful for him), and do not give him anything to drink--it may cause vomiting.
7. You patient may have difficulty breathing, so it is essential that you have called 9-1-1 and that professional help (EMS) is on the way. You can help her by assisting her to a comfortable position, perhaps on her injured side. This will allow for easier breathing by an un-injured lung. If you suspect that she may also have head or neck injuries don't move her head!.
Tags: chest injury, life threatening, skin broken, This will, chest wound, from your, from your first