Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
Introduction Pneumothorax is the collapse of the lung when air accumulates between the parietal and visceral pleura inside the chest. The air is outside the lung but inside the thoracic cavity. This places pressure on the lung and can lead to its collapse and a shift of the surrounding structures. Pneumothoraces can be traumatic or atraumatic. […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
Introduction Hemothorax is a frequent consequence of traumatic thoracic injuries. It is a collection of blood in the pleural space, a potential space between the visceral and parietal pleura. The most common mechanism of trauma is a blunt or penetrating injury to intrathoracic or extrathoracic structures that result in bleeding into the thorax. Bleeding may […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
Introduction Traumatic pneumothorax is the second most common injury in chest trauma, accounting for 50,000 cases a year in the United States. Pneumothorax management relies on early recognition and treatment by prehospital providers to prevent the development of respiratory failure or obstructive shock from “tension” physiology. The majority of emergency medical service (EMS) providers in the […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: head facial neck and spine trauma.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) may result from anywhere between a simple blow to the head to a penetrating injury to the brain. In the United States, around 1.7 million people suffer TBI with older adolescents (ages 15 to 19 years) and older adults (ages 65 years and older) among the most likely to sustain a TBI. The […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: head facial neck and spine trauma.
A concussion is a “traumatically induced transient disturbance of brain function.” Concussions are a subset of the neurologic injuries known as traumatic brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries have varying severity, ranging from mild, transient symptoms to extended periods of altered consciousness. Given the usually self-limited nature of symptoms associated with a concussion, the term mild […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: head facial neck and spine trauma.
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) is a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that results from a blunt injury to the brain. In the United States, traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there are over 1.5 million reported cases […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: head facial neck and spine trauma.
Le Fort injuries are complex fractures of the midface, named after Rene Le Fort who studied cadaver skulls that were subjected to blunt force trauma. His experiments determined the areas of structural weakness of the maxilla designated as “lines of weakness” where fractures occurred. These fractures are classified into 3 distinct groups based on the […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
When enough force is placed on the rib, the rib will fracture. Most isolated rib fractures can be managed expectantly. However, certain patterns of rib fractures are associated with higher morbidity and mortality and will need further evaluation for other underlying injuries and emergent treatment. Introduction Rib fractures occur when a significant enough force directed […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
Introduction Tracheobronchial tear or laceration or injury is an uncommon injury to the tracheobronchial tree, usually involving the trachea or both the right and left main stem bronchi, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Almost 80% of the tracheobronchial injuries in blunt trauma are expected to cause death on the site or during […]
Published in AEMT. Tags: chest trauma.
A pulmonary contusion is an injury to the lung parenchyma in the absence of laceration to lung tissue or any vascular structures. It usually results from blunt chest trauma, shock waves associated with penetrating chest injury, or explosion injuries. These injuries can lead to pulmonary failure and death. The pathophysiology of pulmonary contusions remains poorly […]