Chest Trauma, Pneumothorax, and Pulmonary Embolism Vocabulary

A complete set of vocabulary flashcards detailing concepts, pathophysiology, emergency management, pleural drainage systems, and diagnostic modalities for chest trauma, pneumothorax, and pulmonary embolism based on the lecture notes.

Blunt Chest Trauma

Chest injuries resulting from shearing and compression forces on chest structures, where external appearance may be minor despite severe internal organ damage.

Penetrating Chest Trauma

Chest injury occurring when a foreign object impales or passes through body tissues, creating an open wound.

Sucking Chest Wound Dressing

A nonporous dressing taped on three sides over an open chest wound that pulls against the wound on inspiration to block air entry and opens on expiration to allow air to escape.

Pneumothorax

A condition caused by air entering the pleural cavity, where positive pressure in the pleural space causes the lung to partially or fully collapse.

Spontaneous Pneumothorax

A type of pneumothorax caused by the rupture of blebs on the lung surface, occurring in healthy individuals or those with underlying conditions such as COPD, asthma, cystic fibrosis, or pneumonia.

Iatrogenic Pneumothorax

A pneumothorax caused by medical procedures, including biopsies, subclavian catheter insertion, mechanical ventilation, or esophageal trauma.

Tension Pneumothorax

A medical emergency caused by air accumulation in the pleural space that cannot escape, leading to increased intrapleural pressure, mediastinal shift, and hemodynamic instability due to reduced venous return and cardiac output.

Chest Tubes

Tubes inserted into the pleural space to drain fluid, air, or blood, reestablish negative pressure, and allow the lung to expand.

Pigtail Tubes

Small chest tubes measuring $10^\text{F}\text{ to }14^\text{F}$ used for pleural drainage.

Collection Chamber

The first compartment of a chest drainage unit that receives fluid and blood from the chest cavity while venting air to the second compartment.

Water-Seal Chamber

The second compartment of a chest drainage unit containing $2\text{ cm}$ of water that acts as a one-way valve, allowing air to bubble out of the pleural space without returning to the patient.

Tidaling

The normal fluctuation of water in the water-seal chamber reflecting intrapleural pressure changes during respiration, which gradually disappears as the lung re-expands.

Suction Control Chamber

The third compartment of a chest drainage unit that controls suction pressure applied to the system, using either a column of water (typically $-20\text{ cm H}_2\text{O}$) or a dry dial regulator.

Chest Drainage Breakage Protocol

An emergency management action where the distal end of a disconnected or broken chest tube is placed into $2\text{ cm}$ of water in a sterile container to maintain a water seal.

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

The blockage of one or more pulmonary me-arteries by a thrombus, fat or air embolus, or tumor tissue, obstructing alveolar perfusion and most commonly affecting the lower lobes.

Saddle Embolus

A large thrombus located at the arterial bifurcation of the pulmonary artery.

Pulmonary Infarction

A complication of PE occurring when occlusion of a medium or large vessel, combined with inadequate collateral blood flow and preexisting lung disease, leads to alveolar necrosis, hemorrhage, abscess, and pleural effusion.

Pulmonary Hypertension

A complication of PE resulting from hypoxemia associated with massive (greater than $50\times 10^{-2}$ or 50\text{\textpercent}) or recurrent emboli, which can lead to right ventricular hypertrophy.

D-Dimer

A diagnostic laboratory test that measures clot degradation products; elevated levels suggest thrombosis, though false negatives can occur with small PEs.

Spiral CT Scan (CT Angiography)

The most common diagnostic test for PE, requiring IV contrast media to construct a 3-D visualization of the pulmonary vasculature.

Ventilation-Perfusion (V/Q) Scan

A diagnostic study for PE used when a patient cannot receive contrast media, consisting of perfusion scanning via radioisotope injection and ventilation scanning via inhaled radioactive gas.