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An occlusive dressing is an air- and water-tight trauma medical dressing used in first aid.These dressings are generally made with a waxy coating so as to provide a total seal, and as a result do not have the absorbent properties of gauze pads.
Tension pneumothorax is usually treated with urgent needle decompression. This may be required before transport to the hospital, and can be performed by an emergency medical technician or other trained professional. [16] [41] The needle or cannula is left in place until a chest tube can be inserted.
Usage of the flutter valve presents potential problems such as clogging of the chest tube, which might provoke the recurrence of the pneumothorax or the subcutaneous emphysema, which can lead to empyema. Another potential problem leaks of fluid, which are resolved with a small chest-drain; or with a sputum-trap attached to the valve, to ...
Signs of serious chest injuries, including penetrating trauma to the chest, which can cause a sucking chest wound; flail chest; tension pneumothorax; and cardiac tamponade; Breathing problems (like airway problems, these are also rechecked during the rapid trauma assessment by listening to breath sounds with a stethoscope)
Treatment for this condition is the same as for hemothorax and pneumothorax independently: by tube thoracostomy, the insertion of a chest drain through an incision made between the ribs, into the intercostal space. A chest tube must be inserted to drain blood and air from the pleural space so it can return to a state of negative pressure and ...
In addition, in the patient undergoing positive-pressure ventilation, the detection of an otherwise ‘occult’ pneumothorax prior to CT scanning may hasten treatment and subsequently prevent development of a tension pneumothorax, a deadly complication if not treated immediately, and deterioration in the radiology suite (in the CT scanner). [9]
At all levels of care, the ABC protocol exists to remind the person delivering treatment of the importance of airway, breathing, and circulation to the maintenance of a patient's life. These three issues are paramount in any treatment, in that the loss (or loss of control of) any one of these items will rapidly lead to the patient's death.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to emergency medicine: . Emergency medicine – medical specialty involving care for undifferentiated, unscheduled patients with acute illnesses or injuries that require immediate medical attention.