Diseases & Conditions >
This topic is from Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult About our sources

Flail Chest Updated 10/2010

Stephen L. Thornton
Feedback Form
Email       Print Section  |  Print Topic       Add to My Favorites

BASICS

  • Description
  • Etiology

DIAGNOSIS

  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Essential Workup
  • Tests
  • Differential Diagnosis

TREATMENT

  • Pre-hospital
  • Initial Stabilization
  • ED Treatment
  • Medication (Drugs)
  • In-patient Considerations
The following is an excerpt....
BASICS
Description
  • Free-floating segment of chest wall:
    • 3 or more adjacent ribs are fractured in 2 or more places.
    • Rib fractures in conjunction with sternal fractures or costochondral separations
  • The free-floating segment of chest wall paradoxically moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration.
  • The principal pathology associated with flail chest is the associated pulmonary contusion:
    • There is no alteration in ventilatory mechanics owing to the free-floating segment.
Etiology
  • Blunt thoracic trauma
  • Fall from a height
  • Motor vehicle accident
  • Assault
  • Missile injury
  • Ribs usually break at the point of impact or posterior angle:
    • Ribs 4–9 most prone to fracture.
    • Weakest point of ribs is 60-degree rotation from sternum.
  • Transfer of kinetic energy to the lung ...

    • You must be logged in to fully access this content.

    View a sample algorithm for "Anemia"
    Sign In
    Forgot your password?
    Sign up for a 30-Day Free Trial

    Sign up for a 30-Day FREE Trial now and receive access to all content.

    Start free trial!
    Take a tour of 5MinuteConsult.com
    Subscribe now to 5MinuteConsult

    Have a book code?

    Submit your book code to create your account.
See Also
Procedures & PT >