Flail Chest: Apni to har aah ek tufaan hein

A flail chest occurs when a segment of the thoracic wall becomes unattached from the rest of the chest wall. This most typically occurs when ribs are fractured in two places, allowing that segment of the thoracic wall to “float” independently of the rest of the chest wall. Flail chest can also occur when ribs are fractured proximally in conjunction with disarticulation of costochondral cartilages distally.

“Paradoxical chest wall motion” best describes a flail chest.
A portion of the chest will bulge out/cave in during inspiration/expiration.

Click http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/clinsci/wing/trauma/flail.htm

~ by Samira on March 30, 2007.