Flail Chest

Flail Chest Treatment in Hyderabad

A flail chest is a type of injury that happens if the chest is struck or hurt by a blunt object. It is a serious injury that is acquired after a heavy collapse. The condition can lead to more than three rib fractures or numerous small fractures.  A person’s chest wall can become detached and out of sync with the rest of it. 

Flail chest is one of them. It's uncommon for this to happen as a result of chest trauma, but if it occurs, medical emergencies can cause internal organ damage with bleeding. 

Lungs are mainly affected in the flail chest and a person will need immediate medical attention. It can cause serious health issues and disrupt breathing. Contact our healthcare providers in emergency cases at CARE Hospitals in India to get Flail Chest Treatment.

• immediate treatment is required post a flail chest accident as it’s an extremely sensitive and serious condition. 

• Younger people can recover quickly without any complications. Proper treatment at CARE Hospitals can help you out. 

• Older people have a high risk of developing complications. They may have pneumonia or respiratory failure.

• There can be an underlying cause of lung or blood vessel trauma. It is seen when the chest wall collapses drastically. This makes the survival chances low and requires immediate treatments.

• People may recover in a few weeks or months if the severity is low.

• It can also be caused by a kick of the animal leading to CPR chest compressions or traumatic injuries.

• Rib fractures can also be caused due to blunt traumas and cause injuries like punctured lungs and blood vessel damage.

Symptoms

As we know flail chest is a serious injury and can lead to many reppurcurtions. It depends on how serious the case is. Severe trauma post accident should be studied including the chest area, doctors look out for the following symptoms-

• Extreme pain in your chest

• Tenderness in the chest 

• Tenderness of the bone area that has fractured

• Prominent difficulty in breathing

• Bruising

• Inflammation

• Uneven rising or falling of your chest while breathing

Such accidents can cause intensive internal damage that won’t be prominent to the naked eye. Doctors at CARE Hospitals make sure they go through all these symptoms and make the diagnosis accordingly. The treatments are recommended to give right away in such cases.

What causes flail chest?

Flail chest is primarily caused by blunt thoracic trauma, which occurs when the chest is struck by a forceful impact with a dull object or surface. This type of trauma can result from falls, physical abuse, car accidents, or pressure applied to the sternum and chest during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Individuals at higher risk for blunt trauma include those who are intoxicated, involved in contact sports, of advanced age, or those assigned male at birth.

Flail chest can lead to several complications. The most frequent issue is pulmonary contusion, which refers to damage to the lung tissue. This can cause alveoli to collapse (atelectasis), reducing their ability to facilitate gas exchange. Consequently, the blood does not receive sufficient oxygen, a condition known as shunting.

People with shunting often develop refractory hypoxemia, where their blood oxygen levels do not improve even with high levels of supplemental oxygen. This can progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or respiratory failure. There is also an increased risk of pneumonia due to difficulties with breathing and coughing. In some cases, flail chest can cause air to enter the pleural cavity (a pneumothorax), which prevents the lungs from expanding properly. Also, broken ribs may damage the diaphragm or internal organs such as the heart, spleen, or liver.

Risks

There are a lot of after-risks involved post flail chest. It can-

• Cause disabilities in people (acute or chronic) depending upon the condition.

• Persistent pain in chest walls 

• Deformity of chest 

• Shortness of breath 

• Breathless even in low intensity workouts 

• Lack of diagnosis 

• Precautions not taken properly 

• Inability to move or perform daily activities 

• Oxygen problems 

• Blunt traumas 

Diagnosis 

• After looking at the causes a proper diagnosis is made. The diagnosis will help doctors to know the cause and underlying cause of the problem. 

• Underlying causes can further cause complications and lead to multiple organ failures if not treated. 

• It is very important to get the proper diagnosis before the treatment. 

• First, will be the physical examination conducted by the doctor. Doctors at CARE Hospitals will conduct these and see the severity of the flail chest.

• They will see the type of fracture you’ve- rib or spinal.

• They’ll examine the breathing with the help of a stethoscope- the unusual movement of the chest wall is a clear sign of a flail chest.

• Chest X-rays are conducted to confirm the preliminary diagnosis.

• Plain X-ray film studies may not be able to detect rib fractures but severe injuries can confirm the flail chest. 

• More than one X-ray is conducted.

• Other senses and brain testing is also done by the doctor- if the case is severe, doctor will examine the neural study- they might ask you questions regarding the memory.

Flail Chest Treatment 

Flail Chest Treatment in hyderabad are as follows:

• Treatments are given immediately as it’s extremely severe.

• The lungs are protected immediately and given oxygen therapies if needed.

• The oxygen mask is given to assist in breathing via a concentrator or a cylinder.

• Medications to ease down like painkillers are given by the doctors.

• A mechanical ventilator can also be used in severe chest flail cases. This is to avoid chest cavity instability. 

• Surgery opts-in rare cases when the injuries and risks are unable to be coped with the treatments. 

• Consult the medical expert before undergoing a surgery- it has its own risks and benefits.

• Once treated, you’ll recover according to the severity of the chest flail. The type of injury, location and complications developed will determine the recovery time. 

• Mild chest flails can take up to 6 weeks while the others can take years.

• Age is also a factor that can determine the recovery time- young people will recover faster than the elderly.

Medical management

The initial treatment for flail chest primarily emphasizes ensuring adequate ventilation. Intermittent positive pressure ventilation was first effectively utilized for managing flail chest in the mid-1950s. Cullen and his team further endorsed the use of intermittent mechanical ventilation for treating this condition. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, management of flail chest often included early tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation, as it was thought that hypoxia and reduced oxygen levels needed to be addressed promptly.

Surgical management

Surgical management of flail chest is generally reserved for specific conditions, which include:

• Thoracotomy Necessity: Patients with flail chest needing thoracotomy due to other injuries within the thoracic cavity.
• Inability to Wean from Ventilation: Patients who cannot be successfully weaned off mechanical ventilatory support.
• Significant Chest Wall Instability: Cases of severe instability in the chest wall.
• Chronic Pain: Ongoing pain related to malunion of fractures.
• Deteriorating Pulmonary Function: Continuous or progressive decline in lung function.

Prevention

Here are some ways to prevent flail chest:

• Use Seatbelts: Always wear your seatbelt while driving or riding in a car to reduce injury during accidents.
• Avoid Falls: Make your home safe by adding grab bars in bathrooms and using non-slip mats.
• Exercise regularly to improve balance and strength, especially for older adults.
• Limit Alcohol Use: Be mindful of alcohol consumption, and use designated drivers or rideshares if you’re drinking.
• Regular Check-ups: Get regular health check-ups, especially for older adults, to stay healthy and reduce the risk of falls.

Why Choose CARE Hospitals?

CARE Hospitals have an aim to be India's most well-known healthcare provider, which is dedicated to the highest levels of clinical quality and patient care, backed by cutting-edge technology and research. 

We demand more of ourselves to provide the best to our patients. We strive for excellence in everything we do so that we can provide the best level of patient-centred care possible. 

We provide deep analysis for conditions like chest flails to help you know the situation. Our treatments are globally recommended and are used with the best cutting-edge technology. 

Chest flails are life-threatening and can cause disability in people. Our team will assist you time and give you the best healthcare services that may help you recover fast. 

Our team of doctors will take daily follow-up post-treatment to soothe your condition. We also recommend after home care to patients.