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The EMT student should understand how to manage a patient with chest trauma. Students will learn how to recognize life threats associated with these injuries and how to provide immediate intervention.  We will discuss the anatomy and physiology of the chest and underlying organs as well as the pathophysiology, complications, assessment, and management of chest injuries. Age-related issues are discussed specific to pediatric and geriatric chest trauma. We will also discuss information on incidence (morbidity and mortality) and a detailed discussion of blunt versus penetrating or open trauma. Specific injuries discussed include sucking chest wounds, pneumothorax, tension pneumothorax, hemothorax, flail chest, and pericardial tamponade.

Knowledge Domains:

The EMT student must explain the mechanics of ventilation in relation to chest injuries and describe the differences between an open and closed chest injury. You should be able to recognize the signs of chest injury and describe the management of a patient with a suspected chest injury, including pneumothorax, hemothorax, cardiac tamponade, rib fractures, flail chest, pulmonary contusion, traumatic asphyxia, blunt myocardial injury, commotio cordis, and laceration of the great vessels. The EMT student should recognize the complications that can accompany chest injuries and explain the complications of a patient with an open pneumothorax (sucking chest wound). The EMT should be able to differentiate between a pneumothorax (open, simple, and tension) and hemothorax and describe the complications of cardiac tamponade, rib fractures and with a flail chest.