A sucking wound is often the result of a penetrating injury. The most classical sign of a sucking chest wound is the presence of a hissing or a sucking sound during respiration. Other signs that may be noted are increased difficulties in breathing and coughing up of blood.
If you suspect that someone has suffered this kind of injury, ensure you call the emergency response team immediately. Call for help from anyone else that may be nearby. There emergency phone operator will often guide through on what to do. If they do not, then you will need to do a number of things as you wait.
As is the case for any emergency, always ensure your own safety first. Before attending to the injured, wash your hands and put on a pair of gloves. Inspect the wound and look for any loose clothing or loosely hanging objects. Remove these carefully. Objects that appear to be stuck onto the area should not be extracted by force. Doing so is likely to worsen the injury and reduce the chances of survival.
Every attempt should be made to seal the openings that are provide a route for entry of air. In case of gunshot injuries, both the entry and exit wounds should be closed. This can be effectively achieved by use of adhesive tape. If such is unavailable any material that can create an air right seal can be used. The palm of the hand can be engaged as a last resort.
The complications resulting from this form of injury vary depending on the exact site injured. Deep injuries are likely to have the lungs involved and may lead to a potentially fatal complication known as tension pneumothorax. In this condition, air leaks from the lungs and builds up within the chest causing excess pressure on other organs such as the heart and major blood vessels.
Look out for an increasing level of respiratory distress. This is often manifested by rapid shallow breaths. There may be associated enforcement of neck pains and crackles under the skin. All these are highly suggestive of tension pneumothorax and mean that the seal should be opened so as to relieve the pressure. If the patient ceases to breath and their stops beating, there is a need to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation as you wait on the emergency response team.
Getting the patient to a hospital should be done expeditiously. Because of the strain associated with this kind of injury, oxygen therapy is vital. At the same time, a doctor will need to let out as much of the air that has already been sucked in as possible. This is done by placement of what is known as a chest drain. The drain remains in place for hours or days.
In cases where appropriate first aid measures are undertaken and the surgical intervention availed in time, the prognosis is almost always favourable. Remember that the area affected is delicate and a second lost could be the difference between life and death. A week or two of hospital stay are usually required before one can be discharged. A longer recovery period will be needed if the patient sustained multiple injuries. Full recovery takes three to six months.
If you suspect that someone has suffered this kind of injury, ensure you call the emergency response team immediately. Call for help from anyone else that may be nearby. There emergency phone operator will often guide through on what to do. If they do not, then you will need to do a number of things as you wait.
As is the case for any emergency, always ensure your own safety first. Before attending to the injured, wash your hands and put on a pair of gloves. Inspect the wound and look for any loose clothing or loosely hanging objects. Remove these carefully. Objects that appear to be stuck onto the area should not be extracted by force. Doing so is likely to worsen the injury and reduce the chances of survival.
Every attempt should be made to seal the openings that are provide a route for entry of air. In case of gunshot injuries, both the entry and exit wounds should be closed. This can be effectively achieved by use of adhesive tape. If such is unavailable any material that can create an air right seal can be used. The palm of the hand can be engaged as a last resort.
The complications resulting from this form of injury vary depending on the exact site injured. Deep injuries are likely to have the lungs involved and may lead to a potentially fatal complication known as tension pneumothorax. In this condition, air leaks from the lungs and builds up within the chest causing excess pressure on other organs such as the heart and major blood vessels.
Look out for an increasing level of respiratory distress. This is often manifested by rapid shallow breaths. There may be associated enforcement of neck pains and crackles under the skin. All these are highly suggestive of tension pneumothorax and mean that the seal should be opened so as to relieve the pressure. If the patient ceases to breath and their stops beating, there is a need to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation as you wait on the emergency response team.
Getting the patient to a hospital should be done expeditiously. Because of the strain associated with this kind of injury, oxygen therapy is vital. At the same time, a doctor will need to let out as much of the air that has already been sucked in as possible. This is done by placement of what is known as a chest drain. The drain remains in place for hours or days.
In cases where appropriate first aid measures are undertaken and the surgical intervention availed in time, the prognosis is almost always favourable. Remember that the area affected is delicate and a second lost could be the difference between life and death. A week or two of hospital stay are usually required before one can be discharged. A longer recovery period will be needed if the patient sustained multiple injuries. Full recovery takes three to six months.
About the Author:
When you are looking for information about a sucking chest wound, come to our web pages today. More details are available at http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/OperationalMedicine/DATA/operationalmed/Procedures/TreataSuckingChestWound.htm now.