What is paradoxical chest movement?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for clarification on the medical term 'paradoxical chest movement,' which refers to a specific type of breathing pattern often seen in conditions such as flail chest where the chest muscles move in the opposite direction to normal breathing.
Answer
A breathing pattern where the chest moves inward on inhalation and outward on exhalation.
Paradoxical chest movement refers to a breathing pattern where the chest wall moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration, opposite to normal chest movements.
Answer for screen readers
Paradoxical chest movement refers to a breathing pattern where the chest wall moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration, opposite to normal chest movements.
More Information
Paradoxical chest movement often indicates severe respiratory distress and can be a sign of conditions such as flail chest or diaphragmatic paralysis.
Sources
- Paradoxical Breathing: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment - verywellhealth.com
- Paradoxical breathing: Symptoms and causes - MedicalNewsToday - medicalnewstoday.com
- Definition - MedGen - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
