Question

A 45-year-old man involved in a motor vehicle collision presents to a small rural emergency department with respiratory distress, tracheal deviation to the left, absent breath sounds on the right and hypotension. No imaging is immediately available. What is the most appropriate immediate management?

Accepted Answer

Perform needle decompression of the right chest followed by chest tube insertion

Answer

Obtain urgent CT scan of the chest before intervention

Answer

Administer high-flow oxygen and observe for 1 hour

Answer

Start IV antibiotics for chest infection

Answer

Intubate and ventilate without chest decompression

Practice question