Chest trauma: How to recognize and help?

Chest injuries account for 25% of all traumatic deaths, according to US doctors. But, this could have been prevented if emergency aid had been provided in the first minutes or hours after the injury! Therefore, knowing how to provide first aid for chest injuries can save lives.

Types of chest injuries

In general, chest injuries include damage to the chest wall or internal organs caused by trauma, accident, or penetrating injury. These injuries can lead to difficulty breathing, severe bleeding, and potential risk to vital organs.

Closed chest injuries

Closed injuries of the chest occur from blows, explosions, shock, or compression.

Symptoms include pain (increased by coughing), difficulties and shortness of breath, fainting, and often the inability to lie down.

They distinguish:

• A contusion of the chest wall due to blunt force trauma, typically resulting in pain, tenderness, and possible difficulty breathing.
• Fractures or cracks in the ribs that cause local acute pain and discomfort during breathing or movement.
• Pulmonary contusion, that can lead to difficulty breathing and chest pain.

Open chest injuries

Open injuries occur due to damage by sharp objects, or firearms, and can be penetrating or non-penetrating. In case of penetration, it is possible to suck external air into the pleural cavity and the occurrence of pneumothorax with the development of respiratory failure.

Signs of open injuries of the chest are difficulty breathing, a pneumothorax, the sound of air intake being heard during inhalation, there may be bright red, foamy bleeding from the wound, and hemoptysis.

It is crucial to approach each type of wound with care to correctly assess the severity of the injury and save lives. Providing the right first aid can make a big difference in the outcome and ensure the best chance of recovery for the injured person!

How to stop bleeding from penetrating chest wounds

Call an ambulance immediately! Then, to stop bleeding in penetrating wounds, press firmly on the wound with a gloved hand or a clean cloth for 3–5 minutes. Carefully wipe away the blood and dirt and apply an occlusion seal sticker or improvised material.

If there is bleeding with a chest injury, call an ambulance immediately!

What to do with fixed or unfixed foreign objects in the wound

If there is an unfixed object in the wound, try to carefully remove it. But don’t try to remove the fixed object, it can worsen the bleeding and cause further damage. You can attempt to fix it even more in the wound by wrapping it with a cloth roller and gluing it with tape or a patch. Communicate with the injured person as calmly as possible and immediately call an ambulance.

A step-by-step algorithm for providing first aid for chest injuries

• Check the situation around: Take care of your safety and the safety of the injured person. Call an ambulance immediately!
• Check for response: Gently touch and approach the victim to assess consciousness. If he is unresponsive, place him on his back and clear the airway.
• Watch the breathing. If the person is not breathing, perform CPR if you can, or wait for paramedics to arrive.
• Stabilize the chest: If no spinal injury is suspected, place a firm object, such as a rolled-up towel or clothing, under the injured person’s back.
• Close the open wounds and stop the bleeding, check how to do it above. Ideally, do this while wearing gloves.
• Position the casualty: Support the person in a comfortable position that minimizes movement and facilitates breathing.
• Do not remove immovable objects to prevent the injury from worsening or causing further damage.
• Try to calm the victim and wait for medical help to arrive.

Knowing how to provide immediate first aid for chest injuries is lifesaving.

So, with chest injuries, stay calm, call for help, and follow these important steps to help an injured person before medical personnel arrive. Take care!