|
A penetrating chest wound may lead to several
significant problems. One immediate issue is the open pneumothorax that
leads to collapse of the lung.
In this condition, air can move freely in and out of the pleural space.
When breathing in, air is easily pulled into the pleural space, rather
than the lung. When breathing out, the air is expelled from the pleural
space, and the lung collapses.
A one-way chest seal quickly fixes this problem, by keeping air from
moving into the pleural space but allowing it to escape. After several
breaths, the lung will be re-expanded and functional.
The Asherman Chest Seal is pre-packaged in a sterile bag with a 4 X 4
gauze sponge.
-
Use the 4 X 4 to clean and dry the area around the chest
wound.
-
Peel off the protective paper liner, exposing the adhesive.
-
Place the chest seal over the wound.
-
With each breath, more air will be forced out through the flutter
valve, which also keeps outside air from returning to the pleural
space.
If an Asherman Chest Seal is not available, a variety of
field-expedient chest seals can be quickly made.
Shown here is a plastic wrapper from a small battle dressing, covering
the wound and taped to the chest with adhesive tape. Note that a small
portion of the wrapper is not taped, to allow air to escape. Moisture
(blood, pleural fluid, etc.) underneath the plastic holds the plastic
against the chest wall and keeps air from coming back into the pleural
space during inhalation.
Any plastic-like material can work well for this purpose, including
Ziplock bags, cellophane wrappers, and latex gloves. Dressing Chest Wound Seal 10S
Weight: .03 pounds
NSN: 6510-01-408-1920
Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited.
The listing of any non-Federal product in this CD is
not an endorsement of the product itself, but simply an acknowledgement of the
source.
Operational Medicine 2001
Health Care in Military Settings
Home ·
Military Medicine
·
Sick Call ·
Basic Exams ·
Medical Procedures
·
Lab and X-ray ·
The Pharmacy ·
The Library ·
Equipment ·
Patient Transport
·
Medical Force
Protection ·
Operational Safety ·
Operational
Settings ·
Special Operations
·
Humanitarian
Missions ·
Instructions/Orders ·
Other Agencies ·
Video Gallery ·
Phone Consultation ·
Forms ·
Web Links ·
Acknowledgements ·
Help ·
Feedback
|
Bureau of
Medicine and Surgery
Department of the Navy
2300 E Street NW
Washington, D.C
20372-5300 |
Operational
Medicine
Health Care in Military Settings
CAPT Michael John Hughey, MC, USNR
NAVMED P-5139
January 1, 2001 |
United States Special Operations Command
7701 Tampa Point Blvd.
MacDill AFB, Florida
33621-5323 |
*This web version is provided by
The Brookside Associates Medical Education
Division. It contains original contents from the official US Navy
NAVMED P-5139, but has been reformatted for web access and includes advertising
and links that were not present in the original version. This web version has
not been approved by the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.
The presence of any advertising on these pages does not constitute an
endorsement of that product or service by either the US Department of Defense or
the Brookside Associates. The Brookside Associates is a private organization,
not affiliated with the United States Department of Defense.
Contact Us · · Other
Brookside Products
|
