Your patient is an 80-year-old man who was the unrestrained driver of a vehicle without airbags that was involved in a frontal collision with a parked car. Your assessment reveals that he is dyspneic, tachypneic, and tachycardic. He is awake but unable to respond to questions. There are no obvious signs of injury to the head or neck. The patient has paradoxical movement of the sternum with breathing, along with crepitus and subcutaneous air noted on palpation. Chest excursion is limited, and the patient has cyanosis of his lips, ears, and nail beds. Which of the following is most needed in this patient?
A) Infusion of isotonic crystalloid solution using a large-bore IV
B) Application of bulky dressings over the site of paradoxical motion
C) Being placed in a prone position to stabilize the chest wall
D) Intubation and positive-pressure ventilation
Question 2
Which of the following spinal cord injuries is LEAST likely to result in residual neurologic deficit?
A) Compression
B) Transection
C) Contusion
D) Laceration
Nurse-patient interaction; nonverbal communication
Assisting a falling patient.
To thoroughly clean a throttle body, it is sometimes best to remove it from the vehicle.
Jaundice seen in the eyes and the skin of a patient with hepatitis A.
The Danger of Driver Fatigue
Ex vivo and in vivo gene therapy for a patient with a liver disorder