 Because the chest, abdomen and pelvis contain many organs important to life, injury to these areas can be fatal.
 Chest injuries are a leading cause of trauma deaths each year.
151
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 Chest injuries may involve the bones that form the chest cavity or they may involve the organs or other structures in the cavity itself.
 Chest wounds are either open or closed (ex: rib fractures and puncture wounds).
 Signals of serious chest injury include—

Trouble breathing.

Severe pain.

Flushed, pale, ashen or bluish skin.

Obvious deformity.

Coughing up blood.

Bruising at the site of a blunt injury.
 A distinctive “sucking” sound as the person breathes.
152
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 Caring for a serious chest injury often means helping the victim with trouble breathing. To care for a serious chest injury—
 Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
 Position the victim to aid breathing.
 If ribs are broken, bind the victim’s upper arm to the chest.
 Use a pillow or rolled blanket to support and immobilize the area.
 If a sucking chest sound is evident, cover the wound with an occlusive dressing.
 Take steps to minimize shock.
153
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 Signals of serious abdominal injury include—

Severe pain.

Bruising.

External bleeding.

Nausea.

Vomiting (sometimes containing blood).
 Weakness.

Thirst.

Pain, tenderness or tight feeling in the abdomen.

Organs protruding from the abdomen.

Rigid abdominal muscles.

Other signals of shock.
154
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 If the injury involves an open wound—

Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
 Carefully position the victim on his or her back.
 Do not apply direct pressure.

Do not push any protruding organs back in.

Remove clothing from around the wound.

Apply moist, sterile dressings.
 Cover the wound with an occlusive dressing.
 Cover dressings lightly with a folded towel to maintain warmth.

Take steps to minimize shock.
155
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

(continued)
 If the injury involves a closed wound—

Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number immediately.
 Carefully position the victim on his or her back unless you suspect injury to the head, neck or back.
 Bend the victim’s knees slightly. If moving the victim’s legs causes pain, keep them straight.

Place rolled-up pillows or blankets under the knees for support.
 Take steps to minimize shock.
 Monitor breathing, skin color and temperature until EMS personnel arrive.
156
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 Signals of pelvic injury are the same as those for an abdominal injury. Signals of pelvic injuries may also include—
 Severe pain.
 Bruising.
 Protruding organs.


External bleeding.
Nausea.
 Rigid muscles.
 Pelvic injuries may also cause


Vomiting (blood).
Weakness.

Loss of sensation in the legs.
 Inability to move.

Thirst.

Pain, tenderness or swelling.
157
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 To care for injuries to the pelvis—

Call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
 Do not move the victim unless necessary.
 Control external bleeding.

Cover any protruding organs.

Take steps to minimize shock.

Care for a closed wound to the genitals as you would any closed wounds.
 If the genital has an open wound apply a sterile dressing and control bleeding with direct pressure.
158
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.

 Injuries to the chest, abdomen or pelvis can be serious.
 Some injuries can only be detected if the victim’s condition worsens over time.
 Watch for signals of serious injury that require medical attention.
 Care for life-threatening emergencies first.
 Always call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number as soon as possible.
 For open wounds, control the bleeding.
 If a fracture is suspected, immobilize the injured part.
 Use occlusive dressing for sucking chest wounds and open abdominal wounds.
159
AMERICAN RED CROSS FIRST AID–RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES FOURTH EDITION
Copyright © 2005 by The American National Red Cross
All rights reserved.