A type of chest injury that usually results from a traffic accident or from violence. In flail chest, several adjacent ribs are broken in more than one place, producing a piece of chest wall that moves in the opposite way to normal as the victim breathes. The injury may lead to respiratory failure and shock. Emergency treatment consists of turning the person on to the affected side or supporting the flail segment by firm strapping. In severe cases, artificial ventilation is needed until the chest wall is stable.
Flail chest |
|
|