Final answer:
You are assessing a patient & notice a strange "whooshing" noise every time the patient takes a breath. You suspect the patient may have a: c) sucking chest wound.
Step-by-step explanation:
A sucking chest wound occurs when there is an opening in the chest wall that allows air to enter the pleural cavity during inhalation and can be identified by the noise produced during breathing. A flail chest (a) is characterized by multiple rib fractures, resulting in a portion of the chest wall becoming unstable and moving opposite to the rest of the chest during breathing, creating a paradoxical movement.
A pneumothorax (b) is the accumulation of air in the pleural cavity, leading to a collapsed lung. It typically causes a loss of breath sounds or a decreased lung sound in the affected area, rather than a strange noise. A rib fracture (d) may cause localized pain and tenderness, but it does not produce a distinct 'whooshing' sound during breathing.
In conclusion, the strange 'whooshing' noise heard during the patient's breath indicates a sucking chest wound due to air entering the pleural cavity. So the correct answer is c) sucking chest wound