One of the most common causes of preventable death on the battlefield is tension pneumothorax.

The faster that you can identify and treat the casualty with a tension pneumothorax, the higher the chances are of survival.

When you first see an open pneumothorax, place a gloved hand over the wound, apply the vented chest seal and ensure that the wound is completely covered, and all sides are taped down. Remember to look for another wound and place a vented seal over every wound to “close” the respiratory system.

Look for signs or symptoms of a tension pneumothorax. You can attempt to burp the wound by lifting a side of the vented chest seal. If that does not work, then perform an NDC. There is no data to say that either NDC site is better, so you can choose based on the situation as to which site to use.

Reassessing your casualty after treatment will be vital in the survivability of the casualty that has a pneumothorax.

If your casualty has a major chest injury, they need to be evaluated by an advanced medical professional at a higher echelon of care.