Florida State Paramedic Practice Exam

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In a motorcycle crash, what kind of chest injury might indicate a collapsed steering wheel?

Pneumothorax
Flail Chest
Rib Fracture
Hemothorax

The correct answer is: Flail Chest

A flail chest injury is characterized by the presence of multiple rib fractures that result in a segment of the chest wall becoming detached from the thoracic cage. In the context of a motorcycle crash, a collapsed steering wheel can exert significant force onto the driver's chest, leading to the fracturing of ribs in a way that creates a free-floating segment. This segment can move in the opposite direction of normal breathing (inward during inspiration and outward during expiration), which is a defining characteristic of a flail chest. Recognizing a flail chest is crucial for the management of patients involved in motorcycle crashes, as this condition can impair respiratory mechanics and lead to significant respiratory distress, requiring immediate medical intervention. Other types of injuries, such as pneumothorax or hemothorax, while possible, do not specifically correlate with the mechanism of a steering wheel impact indicating rib detachment and instability that flail chest represents.