After reading this chapter, you will be able to: • List the anatomic alterations of the lungs associated with a flail chest. • Describe the causes of a flail chest. • List the cardiopulmonary clinical manifestations associated with a flail chest. • Describe the general management of a flail chest. • Describe the clinical strategies and rationales of the SOAPs presented in the case study. • Define key terms and complete self-assessment questions at the end of the chapter and on Evolve. A flail chest is the result of double fractures of at least three or more adjacent ribs, which causes the thoracic cage to become unstable—to flail (see Figure 21-1). The affected ribs cave in (flail) during inspiration as a result of the subatmospheric intrapleural pressure. This compresses and restricts the underlying lung area and promotes a number of pathologies, including atelectasis and lung collapse. In addition, the lung also may be contused under the fractured ribs.
Flail Chest
Anatomic Alterations of the Lungs