Caring for Chest and Abdominal Emergencies Chapter 21 Flashcards
You are caring for a patient who was struck in the lateral chest by a blunt object. You palpate a flail segment on the right lateral chest area. This type of injury is most likely to affect the:
A. A patient’s ability to breathe normally
B. Heart and lungs
C. Patient’s pulse rate
D. Patient’s ability to cough
A. Patient’s ability to breathe normally
In the case of an open chest wound, place an occlusive direct dressing over the open wound and then: A. Cover it loosely with a cloth bandage B. Tape it on three or four sides C. Hold it in place with a gloved hand D. Pack the opening with clean gauze
B. Tape it on three or four sides
A 29 year old male has been stabbed once in the posterior chest. How would you describe this injury when completing your documentation? A. Evisceration B. Closed chest injury C. Open chest injury D. Flail chest
C. Open chest injury
You are caring for a patient who was shot in the right lower chest. Which of the following signs would indicate this patient is developing a tension pneumothorax? A. Unequal chest rise B. Tracheal deviation C. Rapid breathing D. Rapid pulse
B. Tracheal deviation
The purpose of placing an occlusive dressing over an open chest wound is to:
A. Control the bleeding
B. Keep chest contents from spilling out
C. Keep air from entering the chest cavity
D. Make it easier for the patient to breathe
C. Keep air from entering the chest cavity
You are caring for a patient with an open chest wound and have covered the wound with an occlusive dressing. The patient becomes increasingly short of breath. You should:
A. Add another dressing to the wound
B. Release the dressing to allow air to escape
C. Apply more pressure to the wound
D. Remove the dressing altogether
B. Release the dressing to allow air to escape
You are caring for a patient who appears to have only injured a rib or two. There is no flail segment and the patient is alert and oriented. What is the most likely potential complication from a simple rib injury? A. Hypoxia from shallow respirations B. Puncture of the heart or lung C. Internal bleeding D. Pneumothorax
A. Hypoxia from shallow respirations
Which one of the following is the most appropriate care for an open abdominal injury?
A. Pack the inside of the wound with clean dressings
B. Poor sterile saline over the wound
C. Cover the wound with a dry, clean dressing
D. Cover the wound with moist, sterile dressing
D. Cover the wound with moist, sterile dressing
You are caring for a patient with abdominal pain for the past two days. She states that she has had a bowel movement this morning that was very dark and tarry. Those signs and symptoms are consistent with:
A. Internal bleeding that is old
B. Internal bleeding that is fresh
C. Appendicitis
D. And evisceration
A patient has been shot in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. You should assume which one of the following organs may have been injured? A. Stomach B. Liver C. Spleen D. Pancreas
B. Liver
Signs and symptoms of an abdominal emergency include:
Pain,
rigidity,
distention,
blood in the vomit or feces
How should abdominal evisceration’s be treated?
- Cover with a sterile moist dressing
2. Cover with plastic to minimize the chances that the exposed organs will dry out
How do you treat an open chest injury that is a sucking chest wound?
Cover immediately with an occlusive dressing.
What should you do when assessing a patient with a chest injury?
Be sure to expose all areas and palpate thoroughly with both hands. Treat with high flow oxygen
What is a flailed chest and what is its impact on the patient?
A chest injury where two or more ribs are broken in 2 or more places. This compromises the integrity of the chest wall and makes it very difficult for the patient to breathe adequately.
