When a paradoxical movement is seen in a patient with a flail chest, the fractured ribs are pushed outward during inspiration.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A paradoxical movement in a flail chest occurs when the chest wall moves inward with inspiration and outward with expiration. This is because the fractured segment of the chest wall moves in the opposite direction of the rest of the chest wall during breathing.

When a Paradoxical Movement Is Seen in a Patient with a Flail