An unrestrained female driver hit a utility pole with her vehicle at a moderate rate of speed. During the impact, she struck the steering wheel with her chest. The patient's airway is open, and she states that it is painful to breathe. Her pulse is moderate in strength, irregular, and tachycardic. Breath sounds are equal bilaterally, and no jugular venous distention is noted. Assessment of her chest reveals bruising and instability to the sternum. When asked, she denies any past medical history. Based on this mechanism and the assessment findings, the EMT should be suspicious of which condition?

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) should rapidly recognize and treat chest trauma, which can be fatal if patients are not stabilized before transport. Chest trauma can be categorized into two areas: Injuries that cause significant blood loss and Injuries that compromise ventilation.  Primary assessment treatments include: Manual stabilization of the cervical spine Establishing and maintaining a patent airway Determining the patient's level of consciousness using the AVPU scale    Chest injuries can be caused by: Penetrating trauma, such as gunshots, lacerations, and punctures Blunt... Show more

Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) should rapidly recognize and treat chest trauma, which can be fatal if patients are not stabilized before transport. Chest trauma can be categorized into two areas: Injuries that cause significant blood loss and Injuries that compromise ventilation. 

Primary assessment treatments include:
Manual stabilization of the cervical spine
Establishing and maintaining a patent airway
Determining the patient's level of consciousness using the AVPU scale 
 

Chest injuries can be caused by:
Penetrating trauma, such as gunshots, lacerations, and punctures
Blunt trauma, such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, crush injury, blasts, and burns 

Signs of chest injury include:
Pain in the chest that gets worse when laughing, coughing or sneezing
Pain when breathing in
Difficulty breathing
Tenderness to the chest or back over the ribs
Bruising
Swelling
A 'crunchy' or 'crackling' feeling under the skin or in the ribs
Coughing up blood 

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