Flail chest symptoms are a sign that you have suffered a severe injury, usually caused by blunt trauma. This injury can have serious implications for your health, so you should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
The first thing your doctor will do is examine you for signs of rib fractures. They may touch you (palpate) to feel if you have broken ribs, or they might ask you to breathe into a device that looks like a chest X-ray machine.
Your doctor will also look for any bruising or discoloration in the area where your broken ribs are located. This could be a result of bleeding from your broken ribs or the impact of the accident itself.
Next, they will order a chest X-ray to confirm their diagnosis. While most rib fractures don’t show up on an X-ray, significant injuries from blunt trauma, such as flail chest, can often be seen.
Typical flail chest symptoms include pain, an uneven chest rise and difficulty breathing. Your doctor will likely put an oxygen mask on you to help you breathe and give you medication to treat the pain.
A flail chest can cause respiratory failure, which can be life-threatening. This can occur because the part of your lungs that’s injured by the rib fracture is out of sync with the rest of your lungs and doesn’t let you breathe correctly.
Treatment for flail chest is different than other types of rib injuries, and it is very important to receive care as quickly as possible. This will allow your doctor to minimize the pain, stabilize the part of your ribs that are broken and give you supplemental oxygen.
The best way to prevent a flail chest is to avoid a fall or any other type of blunt trauma. This is especially important for the elderly, who are more at risk because of their age-related physiologic stiffening of their chest wall and their pre-existing lung problems.
Once you’re in the hospital, your doctor will monitor you for signs of respiratory failure and give you medication to help control your pain. They will also perform pulmonary hygiene measures to keep your airways clear of secretions.
You might also need a surgical procedure called a thoracotomy to remove the parts of your broken ribs. The surgery is often successful and can help you recover.
If your doctor hasn’t been able to help you with the pain, they can try giving you an epidural or intercostal block. These methods are often used to relieve the pain of flail chest and can reduce your need for anesthesia, as well as improve your overall recovery.
In the short term, you should try to get as much rest as possible. You should also drink plenty of water to keep your lungs hydrated and ensure that you are able to breathe.
Your doctors will probably also prescribe an anti-inflammatory to make sure that your lungs don’t become inflamed or swollen. You may also be given pain medication or intravenous medications if the pain is too intense to handle.
