Finger Thoracostomy for Tension Pneumothorax.

One of the injuries associated with chest trauma is pneumothorax, a condition where air accumulates between the parietal and visceral pleura in the chest leading to collapse of the lung due to pressure. Left untreated, a tension pneumothorax may develop leading to cardiovascular collapse. This article reviews the development of a tension pneumothorax, discusses the clinical recognition of the diagnosis, and outlines the procedure for performing a finger (or simple) thoracostomy. A simple mnemonic for the procedure is offered as a memory aid to reduce cognitive load for this procedure. Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Tony Smith, Jennifer Wilbeck. Finger Thoracostomy for Tension Pneumothorax. Advanced emergency nursing journal. 2024 Jan-Mar 01;46(1):44-48

Mesh Tags

PMID: 38285421

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