A patient was hospitalized 36 hours ago after suffering multiple injuries, including flail chest on the right, in an explosion. This morning the patient has moist crackles in the right lung, and the sputum is streaked with blood. The nurse discusses these findings with the health care provider due to concern about the possibility of which injury?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms of moist crackles in the right lung and sputum streaked with blood are indicative of a pulmonary contusion, which is a common injury associated with blunt chest trauma such as that experienced in an explosion. Tension pneumothorax would present with a sudden onset of shortness of breath and tracheal deviation, hemothorax would present with decreased breath sounds and dullness to percussion on the affected side, and pneumonia would present with fever, productive cough, and chest pain.

A Patient Was Hospitalized 36 Hours Ago After Suffering Multiple