This document discusses management of chest trauma. It covers common causes of chest injuries including gunshots, explosions, and crashes. It describes the organs in the chest cavity and how to assess a casualty for chest injuries by examining their breathing, neck, chest wall, and lung sounds. Open and tension pneumothoraces are discussed as well as how to perform a needle decompression in the field to relieve pressure in the chest from a tension pneumothorax. Proper management of chest wounds and decompression of tension pneumothoraces are essential for stabilizing chest trauma patients.

1. Chest Trauma Management
COMBAT MEDIC ADVANCED SKILLS TRAINING (CMAST)

2. General
 Chest injuries may result from:
– Gunshot wounds (GSW)
– Shrapnel
– Explosions
– Motor vehicle crashes (MVC)
– Falls
– Crush injuries
– Stab wounds
CMAST 2

3. Organs of the Thorax
 Heart
Epicardium Myocardium
CMAST 3

4. Organs of the Thorax
 Trachea
 Bronchi
 Lungs
 Mediastinum
CMAST 4

5. Organs of the Abdomen
CMAST 5

6. Organs of the Abdomen
 Muscles
CMAST 6

7. Organs of the Abdomen
 Diaphragm
CMAST 7

8. Determine the MOI
 Penetrating trauma.
– GSW or stab wounds
– Concentrates forces over smaller area
– Bullet trajectories unpredictable
 Blunt trauma.
– Force distributed over larger area
– Visceral injuries occur from:
• Deceleration
• Compression
• Sheering forces
• Bursting
CMAST 8

9. Assess the Casualty
 Identify signs and symptoms:
– Assess mental status (AVPU)
– Assess the airway
– Assess the breathing
– Assess the circulation
CMAST 9

10. Signs Indicative of Chest Injury
 Shock.
 Cyanosis.
 Hemoptysis.
 Chest wall contusion.
 Flail chest.
 Open wounds.
 Jugular vein distention (JVD).
 Tracheal deviation.
CMAST 10

11. Assess Respirations
 Respiratory rate and effort:
– Tachypnea
– Bradypnea
– Labored
– Retractions
– Progressive respiratory distress
CMAST 11

12. Assess the Neck
 Position of trachea.
 Subcutaneous
emphysema.
 JVD.
CMAST 12

13. Assess the Chest Wall
 Contusions.
 Tenderness.
 Asymmetry.
 Open wounds or
impaled objects.
 Crepitation.
 Paradoxical movement.
CMAST 13

14. Assess the Chest Wall
 Lung sounds:
– Absent or decreased
Unilateral
Bilateral
– Location
– Bowel sounds in
chest?
CMAST 14

15. Assess the Chest Wall
 Lung sounds – Percussion.
– Hyperresonance
Pneumothorax
Tension pneumothorax
– Hyporesonance (hemothorax)
CMAST 15

16. Assess the Chest Wall
 Compare both
sides of the chest
at the same time
when assessing for
asymmetry.
CMAST 16

17. Chest Physiology
 Chest normally has negative pressure.
 Penetrating wound creates a positive
pressure in chest cavity.
 Air will enter the easiest route. If a hole in
the chest is smaller than 2/3 the size of the
trachea, air will enter through the trachea
preferentially and not through the hole in
the chest.
CMAST 17

18. Open Pneumothorax
 Caused by penetrating
thoracic injury.
 May present as a
“sucking chest wound”
if > 2/3 diameter of the
trachea.
CMAST 18

19. Open Pneumothorax
CMAST 19

20. Open Pneumothorax
Click on picture for video
CMAST 20

21. Open Pneumothorax
Click on picture for video
CMAST 21

22. Open Pneumothorax
 Management:
– Ensure an open airway
– Close the chest wall defect, both entrance
and exit with an occlusive
dressing, petrolatum gauze or Asherman
Chest Seal®
– Place the casualty in the sitting position
– Monitor respirations after an occlusive
dressing is applied
CMAST 22

23. Open Pneumothorax
 Petroleum Gauze can also be used to seal
a sucking chest wound.
CMAST 23

24. "Asherman Chest Seal "
CMAST 24

25. Tension Pneumothorax
 One-way valve
created from
penetrating trauma.
 Air enters thoracic
space
but cannot escape.
 Pressure builds:
CMAST 25

26. Tension Pneumothorax
 If after sealing the open pneumothorax, the
casualty develops progressive difficulty
breathing, consider this a tension pneumothorax
and perform a needle chest decompression.
 If no capability of NCD exists and the casualty
continues to have progressive respiratory
distress, remove the occlusive dressing and
stick a gloved finger into the open wound and
attempt to “burp” the wound.
CMAST 26

27. Tension Pneumothorax
Air pushes over heart
and collapses lung
Air
outside
lung from
wound Heart compressed not able
to pump well
CMAST 27

28. Tension Pneumothorax
 Clinical presentation:
– Anxiety, agitation, apprehension
– Diminished or absent breath sounds
– Increasing dyspnea with cyanosis
– Tachypnea
– Hyperresonance to percussion on affected
side
– Hypotension, cold clammy skin
– Casualty begins to deteriorate rapidly
CMAST 28

29. Tension Pneumothorax
 Clinical presentation (cont’d):
– JVD and cyanosis
– Decreased lung compliance (intubated)
– Tracheal deviation (late)
* These signs are hard to detect in a combat
environment.
CMAST 29

30. Tension Pneumothorax
 Management:
– Ensure an open airway
– Decompress the affected side
Indications:
– Penetrating chest wound with progressive
respiratory distress
CMAST 30

31. Needle Chest Decompression
 Procedure:
 Identify the second ICS on the anterior chest
wall, MCL:
CMAST 31

32. Needle Chest Decompression
 Prep the area with an
antimicrobial agent.
 Insert a 14 ga. Catheter at
a 90 angle over the top of
the 3rd rib, into the 2nd ICS
at the MCL.
 Needle should be long
enough to enter the chest
cavity (2½ – 3 inches).
CMAST 32

33. Needle Chest Decompression
 If a tension pneumothorax is
present, a “hiss of air” may be
heard escaping from the chest cavity.
 Remove the needle, leave the catheter in place.
CMAST 33

34. Needle Chest Decompression
 Tape the catheter hub to the chest wall.
 The casualty's condition should rapidly
improve.
 Evacuate ASAP.
CMAST 34

35. Needle Chest Decompression
 Questions:
– Over top or bottom
of rib? Why?
– What if casualty doesn't have
a tension pneumothorax and you perform
NCD?
• Already has hole(s) in chest
• Probably larger than diameter of 14 ga. needle
• No additional damage
CMAST 35

36. Needle Chest Decompression
 Questions:
– Will lung re-inflate after pressure is released
from chest cavity?
– No; to re-inflate the lung you must have a
chest tube with suction and or positive
pressure ventilation.
CMAST 36

37. Needle Chest Decompression
 Questions:
– So if the NCD does not re-inflate the lung
what does it do?
– We are simply converting a tension
pneumothorax to a standard pneumothorax;
this is much more survivable than a tension
pneumothorax.
CMAST 37

38. Needle Chest Decompression
 Complications:
– Insertion of the needle over the top of the rib
prevents laceration of the intercostal vessels
or nerve which can cause hemorrhage or
nerve damage.
CMAST 38

39. Summary
 Injuries to the chest are fewer in nature
secondary to modern body armor;
however, it doesn't protect 100%.
 Penetrating wounds to the chest can be
rapidly fatal if not identified early and
treated appropriately.
CMAST 39

40. Questions?
CMAST 40