Question

A patient is involved in an altercation and was struck in the ribs with a baseball bat. Your assessment reveals intact skin with significant bruising to the right lateral chest. When palpating this area, you note instability and crepitus to the rib cage. The patient is also complaining of difficulty breathing. The EMT would recognize:

Select one:
a. chest injury caused by blunt trauma.
b. pulmonary injury caused by penetrating trauma.
c. thoracic injury secondary to penetrating trauma.
d. chest wall injury cause by acceleration forces.

Answer 1

The EMT would recognize a chest injury caused by blunt trauma due to the symptoms of rib fractures and difficulty breathing without any signs of an open chest wound indicative of penetrating trauma.

Step-by-step explanation:

Assessment of Chest Trauma

The scenario presented suggests that the EMT would recognize a chest injury caused by blunt trauma. The significant bruising, palpable instability, and crepitus are indicative of rib fractures which are through the fracture of bones. Difficulty breathing can result from the mechanical hindrance of the broken ribs as well as potential injury to lung tissue. It's important to note that pulmonary injury caused by penetrating trauma typically involves an open chest wound, which is not present in this case. Similarly, a thoracic injury secondary to penetrating trauma would also imply a penetrating object, while chest wall injury caused by acceleration forces is associated with injuries sustained during rapid acceleration or deceleration, such as in a car accident, rather than an impact from a baseball bat.