A 24-year-old male is unconscious after an assault. He has an open chest wound with a bubbling sound. He has a weak carotid pulse and no radial pulses. You should?

Prepare for the Paramedic Readiness Exam 4 with our engaging quiz. Hone your skills with targeted questions, hints, and in-depth explanations. Excel on your exam with confidence!

Multiple Choice

A 24-year-old male is unconscious after an assault. He has an open chest wound with a bubbling sound. He has a weak carotid pulse and no radial pulses. You should?

A chest wound that’s open and making a bubbling sound signals an open pneumothorax. The priority is to seal the wound with an airtight dressing to prevent air from entering the pleural space while still allowing air to escape. Tape the dressing on three sides (flutter valve effect) so air can vent if pressure rises, which helps prevent a tension pneumothorax. This is the best action because leaving it uncovered would let air be drawn into the chest with each breath, worsening collapse, while massaging the chest or applying a chest tourniquet would be inappropriate and potentially harmful.

A chest wound that’s open and making a bubbling sound signals an open pneumothorax. The priority is to seal the wound with an airtight dressing to prevent air from entering the pleural space while still allowing air to escape. Tape the dressing on three sides (flutter valve effect) so air can vent if pressure rises, which helps prevent a tension pneumothorax. This is the best action because leaving it uncovered would let air be drawn into the chest with each breath, worsening collapse, while massaging the chest or applying a chest tourniquet would be inappropriate and potentially harmful.

More practice questions