A small, low-caliber bullet has entered your chest at an angle, through the right lung and then the heart. It is now lodged in heart muscle. The surgeon will have to open some closed cavities of the body and enter those spaces to remove the bullet. What is the order of the cavities and the correct cavities that the surgeon will have to open (starting from the outside)?
A) the pleural cavity, the thoracic cavity, the pericardial cavity
B) the thoracic cavity, the pleural cavity, the mediastinum, the pericardial cavity
C) the thoracic cavity, one pleural cavity, other pleural cavity, pericardial cavity
D) the abdominal cavity, the pleural cavity, the pericardial cavity
E) the thoracic cavity, the pleural cavity, the pericardial cavity, the mediastinum

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The bullet is lodged in the heart muscle, which is located in the pericardial cavity (surrounding the heart). The pericardial cavity is located within the mediastinum, which is located within the thoracic cavity. The pleural cavity is also located within the thoracic cavity, but it is not necessary to enter both pleural cavities to access the pericardial cavity. Therefore, the correct order of cavities to access and remove the bullet would be: thoracic cavity, pleural cavity, mediastinum, pericardial cavity.

A Small, Low-Caliber Bullet Has Entered Your Chest at an Angle