The nurse is caring for a trauma patient and notes that with inhalation, a portion of the chest is drawn inward and with exhalation, the portion expands outward. What is the signif... The nurse is caring for a trauma patient and notes that with inhalation, a portion of the chest is drawn inward and with exhalation, the portion expands outward. What is the significance of this observation?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the significance of a specific observation made during the assessment of a trauma patient, particularly in terms of chest movement during inhalation and exhalation.
Answer
Several ribs are fractured; turn the patient onto the affected side.
The significance of this observation is that several ribs are fractured and the patient should be turned onto the affected side.
Answer for screen readers
The significance of this observation is that several ribs are fractured and the patient should be turned onto the affected side.
More Information
This observation is consistent with flail chest, where a segment of the rib cage breaks under stress and becomes detached from the rest of the chest wall. This condition requires careful management and sometimes mechanical ventilation.
Tips
A common mistake is not recognizing paradoxical movement as indicative of a flail chest, which can lead to incorrect treatment approaches.
Sources
- Blunt trauma related chest wall and pulmonary injuries: An overview - pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Flail Chest - Physiopedia - physio-pedia.com
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