Chest trauma disrupts the structural integrity of the chest wall, and as a consequence may develop flail chest or rib fracture. A flail chest results when three or more ribs are fractured at two or more sites or when the ribs become disarticulated from their cartilage attachments with the sternum. The flail moves outward on exhalation which create an increase in pleural pressure and inward on inhalation. This abnormal movement is called paradoxical chest movement. Bony fragments from a fractured rib may lacerate the lung and cause a pneumothorax or hemothorax. Gas exchange, coughing, and clearance of secretions may all become impaired, therefore vigilant respiratory care must be managed with flail chest and rib fractures. With severe hypoxemia and hypercarbia, intubation and mechanically ventilated with positive end-expiratory pressure, also known as PEEP may be required (Ignatavicius & Workman (2013), p. 683). PEEP improves oxygenation by means of maintain certain amount of pressure (5-15 cm H2O), within the chest cavity, therefore prevents alveoli from collapsing. PEEP enhances gas exchange and prevents atelectasis because the alveoli are kept partially inflated. The chest wall…
however, that has changed quite dramatically. I am Edwardian Bald-Chest, creator of the Chest-Ray and CEO of Bald-Chest Inc. Although many people know my name, not many know my story. This is why I have decided to let you all in on the story of how Bald-Chest Inc came to be. It all started a year and a half ago. I was young, or younger than I am now, had a completely hairless chest, and was stupidly, hopelessly devoted to my beautiful wife. We were completely happy, you see, until one day I…
The staring contest didn't last long when she broke the silence. "Seven years ago." She felt her body stiffen at her own words, at the mentioned period. Her hand reached for the probe to begin the session, though there wasn't much for her to dissect. This female body was identical to the past victims' bodies she had examined, a penetrated wound in the mid chest area with a missing heart, no signs of struggle or restraint. He cleared his throat and decided to go back on topic. "A female…
(fictitious name), a four-year-old child with wheezing, was brought into the emergency room by her mother for treatment at XYZ (fictitious name) hospital at 9:12 p.m. on Friday, May 13. Initial triage assessment revealed that Cindy was suffering from a sore throat, wheezing bilaterally throughout all lung fields, seal-like cough, shortness of breath (SOB), bilateral ear pain. Vital signs on admission were pulse rate 160, respiratory rate 28, and a temperature of 101.6 °Fahrenheit (F) (rectal).…
Correct posture is essential for correct body movement. Without correct posture, muscle imbalances and non-contact injuries may occur. One of the most used screening tests to find these imbalances within an individual is the Functional Movement System (FMS) according to McCall, Carling, Davison, Nedelec, Le Gall, Berthoin, and Dupont (2015). The Functional Movement System is designed to recognize potential weaknesses and risk of injury (Cook, 2010). Therefore, it will be vital for health…
I cared for the patient who suffered blunt chest trauma and who was in respiratory distress. My patient was middle aged male who fell off his motorcycle and, as a result of the fall, obtained multiple rib fractures and pneumothorax. CT scan and chest X-ray indicated that he also had bilateral lung atelectasis at the bases. The breathing pattern was irregular, characterized by shallow, rapid respirations at the rate of 30-40 breaths/minute. His oxygen saturation fluctuated between 78-83% on room…
the case of a young female patient who was discharged 24 hours after a total thyroidectomy. Unexpectedly, this patient came to E.R. 24 hours after being discharged complaining of progressive shortness of breath and a funny sensation in her chest. Typically these patients are seen by their surgical attending, but in this case, her surgeon was in OR for 7 hours performing an emergency…
I chose this particular theory last because combines other theories. Transitional learning is a type of learning based on an individuals perspective due to personal changes that initiated a deep desire to obtain specific knowledge. This type of learning is not generally considered for classes based in EMS but in reality this type of learning occurs daily with providers on the field. An example of this would be a patient that presents with upper abdominal pain and acid reflux type…
When we talk about chest workouts, we are usually talking about working the pectoralis major, which is the largest muscle group in the upper body. These large muscles spread across the upper torso, so the best chest workout is achieved by combining a number of exercises that focus on the different areas of the pectoral muscles: upper, lower, inner and outer. The pecs are “pushing” muscles that tie in closely with your arms and shoulders. When you work your chest, your triceps and deltoids also…
At the time of evaluation, Mrs. Smith was a 54-year-old white married heterosexual female that was referred by her PCP, Dr. Dell, to assess her psychological and emotional functioning. Specifically, Mrs. Smith complained of headaches, stomach aches, and chest pains, along with depressive and anxious symptoms. Furthermore, Mrs. Smith shared that she felt overly emotional when confronted with stressful situations, which has worsened in the past six months and caused her to feel tearful,…