Question

You are called to a local high school for a 64-year-old spectator at a sporting event. The patient complains of shortness of breath. The patient identifies a history of COPD and you note absent breath sounds on the patient's left side. Onset of complaint was sudden while the patient was sitting in the stands and no blunt or penetrating trauma occurred. Your immediate concern would be:

A) Tension pneumothorax
B) Myocardial infarction
C) Pulmonary embolism
D) Aortic dissection

Answer 1

The immediate concern would be a tension pneumothorax.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the patient's history of COPD, absent breath sounds on the left side, and sudden onset of shortness of breath, the immediate concern would be a tension pneumothorax. A tension pneumothorax occurs when air accumulates in the pleural space, causing compression of the lung and displacement of the mediastinum. This can lead to severe respiratory distress and can be life-threatening.