Chest injury (ICD-10 code: S20) is a fairly common injury. No one is immune from this mechanical damage. An unforeseen situation with similar consequences can occur in both adults and children. At a young age, the skeleton is not yet fully formed, so a weak blow will be enough to cause a serious injury in the chest area.
According to medical statistics, a number of the most common causes of such mechanical damage can be identified:
- consequence of an accident (shock on the steering wheel after a head-on collision if the seat belt was not fastened);
- being stabbed in the chest with a blunt, heavy object;
- drop.
After a chest contusion (ICD-10: S20), it is important to undergo appropriate examination as soon as possible to identify the consequences of damage, since some of them can cause serious harm to the body.
What is a chest bruise
Mechanical damage to this part of the body is a dangerous injury. The integrity of the skeleton and internal organs is not yet a reason to feel calm. As a result of such an injury, as a rule, vessels, soft tissues and nerve endings can be injured. In this case, scratches and bruises form at the site of the blow.
It often happens that the effects of an injury do not appear immediately. This is mainly due to the gradual disruption of the functioning of internal organs due to bruising of the chest. After a stroke, treatment should be prescribed in a timely manner. Such consequences, depending on the severity of the injuries, can be life-threatening. Indeed, in the chest area there are such important organs for human life as the heart and lungs. If, as a result of an injury, cracks have formed in the ribs, then this may indicate more serious consequences for the internal organs. Therefore, it is extremely important to seek qualified help as soon as possible.
Clinical manifestations
The symptoms of a chest contusion and its consequences depend on the severity of the injury. Depending on the nature of the damage, the attending physician, on the basis of objective data obtained as a result of the examination, must prescribe an effective therapeutic course. Manifestations of post-traumatic syndrome are usually divided into two types: general and local.
Local symptoms
Local symptoms include the following:
- Painfulsyndrome in the injured area of the sternum. Such a manifestation, depending on the nature of the damage and the individual characteristics of the body, can be aching, intense or pulsating. Throbbing pain mainly indicates damage to the nerve endings, but in some cases it may indicate heart disease. Pain syndrome in this case manifests itself both at rest and during movement. Especially acute pain begins to manifest itself when coughing or deep breathing.
- A hematoma may form at the site of a bruised chest. If its location is limited to the place directly on which the mechanical impact was made, then this indicates injury to the blood vessels, as a result of which an internal hemorrhage occurred. Expansion of the bruise beyond the site of injury is one of the symptoms of complications.
After receiving mechanical damage, edema can be observed at the site of injury. This indicates the accumulation of lymph in adjacent tissues.
General symptoms
Common symptoms include:
- increase in body temperature to subfebrile values;
- development of arrhythmia;
- general malaise.
Chest contusion (ICD-10 code: S20) resulting from a severe injury can lead to disruption of the respiratory system or to a complete cessation of breathing. Respiratory failure may develop. In most cases, if a lot of time has passed since the injury, the symptoms become less pronounced. However, this does not mean thatthe threat to life and he alth has passed. A visit to the doctor should not be postponed because of this. Bruising of the chest leads to a number of consequences and complications, which can subsequently adversely affect the life of the body. Many of them show up over time.
Most common complications
Chest injury, depending on the severity, in most cases leads to the following injuries:
- lung tissue damage;
- fractured or cracked ribs;
- damage to the heart muscle.
In the presence of such injuries, the following symptoms can be observed in the victim:
- shallow breathing, the patient cannot take a full and deep breath;
- throbbing pain syndrome that becomes more intense when you touch the damaged area;
- severe throbbing pain on the left side, usually indicating a heart injury.
If the pleura was damaged as a result of a bruise of the chest (ICD-10: S20), then this, without timely medical intervention, will lead to the development of serious diseases: pneumothorax or hemothorax.
Recommendations for providing first aid to the victim
There are a number of actions that can greatly alleviate the condition of the victim before the arrival of the ambulance:
- The victim should wait for the arrival of the ambulance in a half-sitting position.
- It is recommended to apply pressure to the damaged area, but nottight bandage. This is necessary to limit the movement of the chest during breathing, which will greatly alleviate the pain syndrome.
- Apply a cold compress to the bruised area. This will reduce the likelihood of severe swelling and extensive bruising.
- If the victim suffers from severe pain that does not go away within 10-15 minutes after the injury, then before the arrival of the ambulance team, you can offer him to drink a pill of an effective painkiller ("Analgin", "Ibuprofen", "Nurofen", "Ketanov" and others).
Therapy
Treatment for a bruised chest after being hit depends on the severity of the injury. In any case, it is necessary to seek qualified medical help as soon as possible and undergo an appropriate examination. If the result of the blow received is only soft tissue damage, and the bones and internal organs were not affected, then it is quite possible to undergo a therapeutic course prescribed by a specialist at home. If a large amount of blood has accumulated in the chest area after an injury, then the patient needs an operation, during which it is necessary to remove the formed hematoma and sew the damaged blood vessels.
Home treatment is primarily aimed at relieving pain, so the doctor may recommend regular use of analgesics, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs for external use for two weeks.
Physiotherapy
When receiving a bruised chest afterstroke it is advisable to turn to physiotherapy. Such procedures restore damaged tissues, promote the resorption of edema and the rapid healing of scars. Typically, your doctor may schedule one or more treatments over the course of two weeks:
- electrophoresis;
- background therapy;
- paraffin applications.
Warm-ups are only allowed three days after injury.
Complications
If a chest contusion has led to a broken rib, it is important to pay attention to the color of the patient's lips. If their color is blue, then this may indicate damage to the lung tissue by a fragment of the rib. In this case, surgical intervention in a hospital setting is advisable, since delay can pose a serious threat to the life of the victim.
Fractures of the lateral and anterior parts of the ribs create particular discomfort as they interfere with normal breathing. In this case, the victim shows signs of tachycardia, and the skin becomes pale in color. With such injuries, treatment should be carried out exclusively in a hospital setting.
Injuries caused by contusion of the chest, which pose a threat to the life of the victim
Chest injury (ICD-10 code: S20) can lead to such dangerous consequences for the body as:
- pathological mobility in the chest area;
- lung tissue damage;
- development of post-traumatic pathologies(pneumothorax, hemothorax, chylothorax);
- damage to the organs of the respiratory system, which leads to the inability to take a deep breath;
- mechanical damage to the heart muscle;
- damage to large vessels in the chest area;
- damage to the digestive organs;
- asphyxia;
- diaphragm injury;
- cardiac contusion.
The last complication deserves special attention, as it often leads to sudden death.
Contusion of the heart
Contusion of the heart is the most common consequence of closed injuries due to chest contusion. With the development of this pathology, the right ventricle most often suffers, however, in some cases, with severe mechanical damage to the left side of the chest, the victim may experience a myocardial rupture, which, without qualified and timely medical care, can lead to sudden death. Such damage is mainly accompanied by throbbing pain in the region of the heart, and in some cases the patient may complain of difficulty in breathing.
Timely diagnosis and the correct therapeutic course minimize the likelihood of a sudden death. Therefore, it is extremely important for severe chest contusion (ICD-10: S20) to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis
With severe mechanical damage to the chest, it is extremely important to establish the correct diagnosis as soon as possible and determine the factors that can pose a threat to lifethe victim. If any are identified during the examination, it is important to provide the patient with appropriate assistance. Diagnostic procedures are prescribed by a traumatologist after an initial examination and assessment of the patient's condition. In severe cases, emergency surgery is possible to stop internal bleeding.
If the condition of the victim is within the normal range, the doctor selectively prescribes one or more diagnostic procedures:
- X-ray of the affected area;
- cardiogram;
- blood donation to determine clinical and biochemical parameters;
- thoracoscopy;
- pleural puncture;
- bronchoscopy;
- magnetic resonance imaging (rare);
- echocardiogram.
Based on objective data from the results of the examination, the attending physician determines the patient's condition and prescribes the appropriate therapeutic course. In the absence of serious injuries that could pose a threat to life or contribute to the development of complications, the victim is sent home for self-treatment.
General recommendations
If the treatment of chest contusion is carried out at home, then you should strictly follow the doctor's instructions regarding the general regimen and medication. Do not experiment and self-medicate. Even the use of traditional medicine recipes without prior approval from a specialist can lead to negative consequences.
In no case should you self-diagnose and self-medicate. It maylead to the development of serious complications that will entail irreversible consequences for the body.
When you get injured and the first symptoms appear, it is important to contact a specialist in time. This will help to heal the bruise faster and avoid complications.
