Blunt Chest Trauma

Blunt Trauma

Chest Trauma

• Mechanisms of injury:
  • Direct blow to the chest wall
  • Compression of the chest cavity
  • Deceleration injuries (e.g., high-speed motor vehicle accidents)
• Common injuries:
  • Rib fractures
  • Hemothorax (bleeding into the chest cavity)
  • Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
  • Cardiac contusions
  • Diaphragmatic injuries
• Clinical presentation:
  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Decreased breath sounds
  • Tachycardia
  • Hypotension

Head Trauma

• Mechanisms of injury:
  • Direct blow to the head
  • Deceleration injuries (e.g., falls, motor vehicle accidents)
  • Penetrating trauma (e.g., gunshot wounds)
• Common injuries:
  • Concussions
  • Skull fractures
  • Epidural hematomas
  • Subdural hematomas
  • Intraparenchymal hemorrhages
• Clinical presentation:
  • Altered mental status
  • Confusion
  • Loss of consciousness
  • Vomiting
  • Seizures

Orthopedic Trauma

• Mechanisms of injury:
  • Direct blows to the extremities
  • Falls from heights
  • Motor vehicle accidents
• Common injuries:
  • Fractures (e.g., femur, tibia, fibula)
  • Dislocations (e.g., shoulder, elbow, hip)
  • Soft tissue injuries (e.g., ligament sprains, muscle strains)
  • Amputations
• Clinical presentation:
  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Deformity
  • Limited range of motion
  • Neurological deficits (e.g., numbness, weakness)

Chest Trauma

• Direct blow to the chest wall, compression of the chest cavity, and deceleration injuries are common mechanisms of injury
• Rib fractures, hemothorax, pneumothorax, cardiac contusions, and diaphragmatic injuries are common injuries associated with chest trauma
• Clinical presentation includes chest pain, shortness of breath, decreased breath sounds, tachycardia, and hypotension

Head Trauma

• Direct blow to the head, deceleration injuries, and penetrating trauma are common mechanisms of injury
• Concussions, skull fractures, epidural hematomas, subdural hematomas, and intraparenchymal hemorrhages are common injuries associated with head trauma
• Clinical presentation includes altered mental status, confusion, loss of consciousness, vomiting, and seizures

Orthopedic Trauma

• Direct blows to the extremities, falls from heights, and motor vehicle accidents are common mechanisms of injury
• Fractures, dislocations, soft tissue injuries, and amputations are common injuries associated with orthopedic trauma
• Clinical presentation includes pain, swelling, deformity, limited range of motion, and neurological deficits such as numbness and weakness