Breathing
When assessing breathing, simply observing the patient may quickly reveal an obvious chest wound or the paradoxical movements of a flail chest segment. If there is severe brain stem damage, or breathing is insufficient to maintain oxygenation, ventilation will be required. A breathing rate less than 12 or greater than 28 per minute indicates significant abnormality.
Rapid examination should quickly pick up the following life-threatening chest injuries, and treatment should be expedited immediately:
- sucking chest wound
- tension pneumothorax
- haemothorax
- large flail segment
- cardiac tamponade - this is also considered under circulation assessment
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