Thoracic Trauma

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to thoracic trauma, including types of injuries, assessment findings, and treatments.

Thoracic Trauma

Injuries to the chest that can affect major organs and structures within the thoracic cavity.

Chest Trauma

Responsible for 25% of traumatic deaths in the US, requiring emergent treatments like resuscitation, intubation, or chest tube placement.

Pulmonary Contusion

The most common chest injury, leading to respiratory failure due to hemorrhage in and between alveoli.

Flail Chest

Condition where a segment of the chest wall moves paradoxically due to multiple rib fractures.

Pneumothorax

A collection of air in the pleural space causing a rise in chest pressure and reduction in lung capacity.

Tension Pneumothorax

A life-threatening condition where air collects under pressure in the pleural space, compressing the lung and compromising cardiac output.

Hemothorax

Accumulation of blood in the pleural space that can result from blunt or penetrating trauma.