Picture a hunter out in the woods that is struck by a stray .556 round to the thoracic region of the body. Air is being sucked into the thoracic cavity through the chest wall instead of into the lungs through the airways. As air fills the pleural space through the opening of an open pneumothorax, the traumatic wound can act as a one-way valve and will not allow the air to exit. If not treated properly this will lead to a cascading effect on the patient. The pressure will increases and begin to collapse the lung. Once the lung has collapsed, the pressure will begin to compress the heart, and the mediastinum will shift toward the uninjured lung. This entire process leads to a life-threatening condition known as a tension pneumothorax. From
Thank you for reviewing Ronald Cocks, an 89 year old gentleman with an array of medical comorbidities. Ronald has a history of prior asbestos exposure and is an ex-smoker of approximately 20 pack years. He is quite frail, although still ambulates independently with a 4-wheel frame and is currently living at a retirement village. Ronald was referred to me just prior to Christmas with a two month history of sudden onset voice hoarseness. He was noted to have a 4.5cm left upper lobe cavitatory mass in close proximity to the left upper lobe pulmonary arteries and abutting the left upper lobe pleura.
While auscultating sounds of lung fields no wheezing was found, and VS were within normal range for patient as determined through comparison of chartings on 10/23/2015 thru the morning and lunch VS of 10/26/ 2015 before impaired gas exchange was detected. 10/26/2015 2. Administer O2 @ 2L N/C
The exudative phase unfolds over the first 1 to 7 days after attack of lung injury. Accumulation in the alveoli of excessive fluid, protein and inflammatory cells that have move into the air spaces from the alveolar capillaries. Intrapulmonary shunt develop and blood passing cannot be oxygenated. Alveolar type I and type II cells are spoiled causing surfactant dysfunction. Alveoli become unstable and collapse and fibrotic changes take place.
Upper Lateral Thoracic Pain Dx: Pneumothorax (Pulmonary System) Clinical Presentation: Signs and symptoms vary depending on the size and the location of the pneumothorax.1 Patients may present with severe upper lateral thoracic back pain, ipsilateral shoulder pain, and sudden sharp chest pain or pain over the abdomen.1 Movement and coughing may provoke or aggravate the patients pain.1 The most comfortable position for the patient may be sitting upright and they might also present with dyspnea, a dry hacking cough, change in respiratory movements on affected side, increased neck vein distension, weak and rapid pulse, and/or fall in blood pressure.1 Other common signs and symptoms of a pneumothorax include a decrease or absence in breath sounds,
RIce, T. W., & Bernard, G. R. (1998-2023). Institutional Review Board. American Thoracic Society.
You develop difficulty breathing, chest pain, a racing heart beat, or heart palpitations. These symptoms may represent a serious problem that is an emergency. Do not wait to see if the symptoms will go away. Get medical help right away. Call your local emergency services (911 in the U.S.).
Detailed physical exam reveals no head injury, no neck, back pain or midline spinal tenderness. Right clavicle guarding and malformation, ecchymosis and tenderness right posterior thoracic region, no evidence of flail chest (Caroline, 2014). No abdominal tenderness or distention, no pelvic pain or neurological deficit in any limbs. Pain score 6/10, 8/10 on deep inhalation (Breivik et al., 2008) (Appendix 4). Auscultation reveals reduced breath sounds mid-axillary right side.
If Timmy was punched hard enough, he can have fractures on the cartilage structure of the throat, since the cartilage is flexible and not as strong as the bones. If damage is inflicted, by strong hit for example, on the larynx, it begins to swell. If it swells too much, the flow of air can blocked and you start to suffocate. How would this affect his respiratory system?
But if it had gone a long way and you are already on a situation that you cannot breathe anymore, then do not waste any more time. Walk out of that situation the soonest time possible. There are a lot of figures around that could help you. Just like how an endotracheal tube helps out an unconscious patient to hold on to his life, there is always solution. Find a place where you can find peace.
Also they may lose their pulse and their blood pressure which causes them to collapse. If this happens call 9-1-1 and find the emergency medical system if you see any warning signs. Give CPR , check for a pulse on the side of the neck .If there is a pulse and no breathing give one breath every five seconds . If there is no pulse begin CPR by tracing the victims ribs to the notch at the center of the chest and placing the heel of your other hand two-finger widths above the notch compress on the chest with the heel of one hand on the breast bone, with the other hand on top of it,fingers enterlaced.
Hypoxia: is the lack of adequate oxygen but hypoxic injury is due to low blood supply, which impacts the heart muscle (Huether & McCance, 2012, p. 63-65 ). After the cessation of blood supply to the heart muscle, the contraction stops due to decline in mitochondrial phosphorylation. This leads to low ATP production, which causes an increase in anaerobic metabolism, producing ATP from glycogen. Even when that is used up, the sodium and potassium pump on the plasma membrane and the sodium-calcium exchange fail to function. All of this causes cellular swelling and also lead to vacuolation, formation of vacuoles.
The explosion of internet information has prompted a lot of 'cyberchondria ', which often means patients are worrying about symptoms that are frequently harmless," says Dr Steve Hambleton, president of the Australian Medical Association. "On the other hand, the internet can also cause the other problem, where people self-diagnose instead of going to talk to their doctor." We asked Australia 's leading medics to explain what the good (harmless), bad (may need medical attention) and ugly (serious) symptoms of common health problems may mean. Calf pain The good: Calf pain may be due to muscular strain or even referred pain from the back, hip or knee.
The potential space between the instinctive and parietal pleurae is known as the intrapleural space. The intrapleural and intrapulmonary pressures fluctuate amid ventilation. The intrapulmonary pressure is subatmospheric amid inspiration and more prominent than the atmospheric pressure amid expiration. Pressure changes in the lungs are delivered by varieties in lung volume, as per the opposite relationship between the volume and pressure of a gas portrayed by Boyle's law. The mechanics of ventilation are affected by the physical properties of the lungs.
As a result, these patients can’t bring the carbon dioxide out, they become retain the carbon dioxide which makes it so hard for them to breathe
These effects can cause negatively impact pulmonary function, one of which is diffuse atelectasis 13. Figure 5-2: Chest radiograph of a full-term infant with coarse interstitial infiltrates of meconium aspiration pneumonitis. Retrieved from: