When and How to Apply a Chest Seal for Open Wounds

A penetrating chest wound is one of the most life-threatening and time-dependent emergencies a person can experience. All the more reason that it is a life-saving technique for first responders, wilderness guides and security personnel to learn: how to handle sucking chest wounds. Equality of treatment can save a patient and buy you the time necessary to get advanced medical care. About Anping Guardian Medical Equipment Co., Ltd: Our mission is not only to provide high-quality medical equipment but also the spirit of education and care that allow people to act with confidence when their health - or the health of those they love – is on the line. Here’s what you need to know to recognize and treat an open chest wound.

Recognizing a Sucking Chest Wound: The Critical First Step

Before any treatment can be applied, you have to thoroughly diagnose the injury. An open pneumothorax, also known as a sucking chest wound, is the result of an opening in the chest wall that causes air to be sucked into the pleural space (the area between the lung and chest wall). It disrupts this vacuum that normally enables your lungs to expand, and the lung collapses.

There are some visual and sound indicators of what to watch for. You will visually observe a slit in the chest. Most importantly, you might notice a sucking or hissing sound when they breath. This is air going in and out of the wound, not the mouth or nose. The patient will presumably have been in extreme difficulty for hours. They might have symptoms like shortness of breath, rapid breathing, cyanosis (a bluish tint to the skin, particularly around the lips and fingernails), coughing up blood. Breathing may be asymmetrical and the chest may not rise and fall equally. Recognizing these signs rapidly is what prompts the initiation of a chest seal.

Proper Technique for Applying a One-Way Chest Seal

As soon as a sucking chest wound is diagnosed, the aim is to change an "open" pneumothorax into a "closed" one to reduce any outgoing movement of air from the chest. This is when a specialized and dedicated one-way chest seal by Anping Guardian becomes such an indispensable device. Unlike an occlusive dressing you might MacGyver, our one-way seals are made with a special valve. This valve functions to allow air that is trapped inside the chest during expiration (breathing out) to escape and not become trapped in tension pneumothorax, but prevent other air from entering as they inhale (breathe in).

The manner of application can be simplistic, though one must work with care. Expose the wound and remove any obvious debris. Do not interfere deeply in the wound. First apply direct pressure around — not directly into — the wound if the patient is bleeding heavily. Remove the sterile packaging of the chest seal, touch only side edges to keep neat and clean. If the wound is hairy, you might have to shave it quickly so that the site sticks better. Peel the back of the adhesive off and press down the entire seal against wound so it creates an air tight hold all around. The unidirectional valve is positioned over the wound aperture. Verify that the patient is now breathing better and that chest seal has really happened.

Managing Complications: What to Do If a Chest Seal Fails

Sure there are good one-way chest seals, but you need to be ready to treat things when they don't go as planned. The air leak of more than 90% can allow the possibility for tension pneumothorax, which may develop after initially sealing. When air collects in the pleural space without a means of escape, it exerts intense pressure on the heart and the opposite lung.