Q1. What injuries are associated with fractures to the thorax? What is the significance of a flail chest and what intervention should be anticipated?
Q2. What are the 3 signs of Beck's triad? What are the limitations when assessing for these signs when the patient is hypovolemic?
Q3. What is the most important intervention for a patient in acute respiratory distress with tachycardia, hypotension, jugular vein distention, and unilateral absence of breath sounds?
Q4. What are the differences between a simple (closed) pneumothorax and a complex or communicating (open) pneumothorax? What causes progression to a tension pneumothorax?
Q5. What interventions should the nurse anticipate for a patient with a massive hemothorax?
Q6. What are the indications for a resuscitative thoracotomy?