Penetrating injuries to the chest wall can be difficult to find through the casualty’s clothes, protective gear and low-light situations. Expose and uncover any suspected anterior, posterior or axillary chest wounds. If multiple wounds are found, treat them in the order in which you found them.

Not all chest wounds are sucking chest wounds and some do not penetrate as deeply as the lung cavity. If you are not sure if the wound has penetrated the chest wall completely, treat the wound as though it were an open chest wound.