Algorithm of emergency medical care in case of chest trauma (lecture)

In today’s conditions of large-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation, chest trauma occupies a leading position among traumatic injuries of various organs and systems. The task of emergency medical care at the prehospital stage is to identify injuries that pose an immediate threat to the victim’s life, namely: airway obstruction, chest flotation, open pneumothorax, massive hemothorax, tension pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, heart contusion, traumatic aortic rupture, diaphragmatic rupture, etc., and to provide emergency care. Chest injuries are often reported in patients with combined trauma, and they lead to death in 20–25% of cases. However, many victims can survive if these injuries are detected in time and treated properly. This article discusses the critical injuries to the chest and its organs, as well as interventions that can increase the victim’s chances of survival.