Chest Injury
Chest injury
Injuries to the chest can lead to damage to the lungs, including the risk of a collapsed lung.
Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of a collapsed lung include:
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Painful breathing
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Blue tinges to lips and skin
- Pale, clammy skin
- Uneven chest movements
If there is a penetrating wound, such as a stabbing, there could be a ‘sucking’ chest wound. While it is important to control the bleeding, you should try and keep the hole exposed to allow air to escape – a build-up of air in the cavity can put pressure on the other lung and the heart, putting life at risk. Signs and symptoms of a sucking chest wound include:
- Sound of air being drawn into the wound
- Blood may be bubbling
- May be a crackling sound if you press on the skin around the wound
Treatment
- Call 999/112.
- If there are no other apparent injuries, sit the casualty up and lean them towards their injured side.
- If it is a sucking chest wound, expose the wound and leave it open if possible.
- Apply pressure to stop the bleeding but do not block the hole with any dressings.
- If they become unconscious, open their airway, checking breathing and place in recovery position.
Major Injury
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