{"id":"734822fe-544a-411a-a1a8-dc05363b34bb","title":"Guidelines and Key Points","chapterNumber":4,"elements":[{"id":"38c04eb9-ed69-447b-8188-5bae317b9910","type":"html","fileName":"38c04eb9-ed69-447b-8188-5bae317b9910.html"},{"id":"b4960b32-0132-4a32-b820-8f17eb22d6ec","type":"panel","label":"Respiration/Breathing Key Points","comment":"<p>Tension pneumothorax is a very common cause of preventable death on the battlefield, yet it is easy to treat. It may occur with entry wounds in abdomen, shoulder, or neck. Blunt (motor vehicle accident) or penetrating trauma (such as a GSW) may also cause it.&nbsp;</p><p>If the casualty does not have a tension pneumothorax when you do your needle decompression, the needle won’t make it worse if there is no tension pneumothorax. &nbsp;If he DOES have a tension pneumothorax, you will save his life.</p><p>Tension pneumothorax is a common but easily treatable cause of preventable death on the battlefield. Diagnose and treat it aggressively! <b>DO NOT MISS THIS INJURY!</b></p><p>Vented chest seals work reliably to prevent a tension pneumothorax in the presence of an open pneumothorax and an ongoing air leak from the lung, but non-vented chest seals do not.</p><p>Once the wound has been occluded with a dressing, air can no longer enter (or exit) the pleural space through the wound in the chest wall. The injured lung will remain partially collapsed, but the mechanics of respiration will be better. You have to be alert for the possible development of tension pneumothorax because air can still leak into the pleural space from the injured lung.</p>"}]}