BCEN CEN Practice Question

Blunt chest trauma can allow air to leak from the lung into the pleural space, producing a traumatic pneumothorax. Classic findings include sudden ipsilateral pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, and decreased or absent breath sounds on the affected side. Pulmonary contusion and tamponade may also occur after blunt trauma but usually present with diffuse chest findings or hemodynamic compromise rather than abrupt unilateral pleuritic pain with absent breath sounds. Pulmonary embolism is less likely in the immediate post-impact period and typically lacks unilateral absent breath sounds.