md90
04-07-2006, 01:31 PM
Blunt trauma to the chest is most likely to be complicated by:
1. chylothorax
2. osteomyelitis
3. hemothorax
4. neoplasia
5. pneumothorax
Answer: #5, pneumothorax, why? When a rib is broken, the sharp ends may puncture the pleura to allow an air leak that can collapse the lung. Some bleeding is possible, but not usually marked. Closed trauma is unlikely to result in an infection. Neoplasms do not arise from mechanical blunt trauma. The lymphatic channels in the chest wall are too small to be involved with a chylous effusion.
1. chylothorax
2. osteomyelitis
3. hemothorax
4. neoplasia
5. pneumothorax
Answer: #5, pneumothorax, why? When a rib is broken, the sharp ends may puncture the pleura to allow an air leak that can collapse the lung. Some bleeding is possible, but not usually marked. Closed trauma is unlikely to result in an infection. Neoplasms do not arise from mechanical blunt trauma. The lymphatic channels in the chest wall are too small to be involved with a chylous effusion.