Open AccessX‐Ray Quiz: A Construction Worker with Blunt Chest Injury
Author(s) -
Chaou CH,
Lai YL,
Chang YC
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/102490791201900213
Subject(s) - medicine , percussion , palpation , auscultation , blunt , respiratory rate , vital signs , pulse rate , focused assessment with sonography for trauma , blood pressure , heart rate , radiology , surgery , anesthesia , abdominal trauma
A 34-year-old, previously healthy, male construction worker was sent to the emergency room immediately after a thoracic crushing injury. His vital signs were as follows: pulse rate, 90 beats/min; respiratory rate, 24 breaths/min; blood pressure, 126/61 mmHg; and body temperature, 35.8oC. The patient was conscious but had mild dyspnoea and complained of left-side chest pain. Palpation of the chest showed some crepitus on the left-side chest wall; auscultation revealed decreased breath sounds on the left side with dullness in percussion. He received immediate fluid resuscitation and oxygen supply. Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) was performed and no ascites was visualised.