Dressings For Open Pneumothorax;
Open pneumothorax can cause paradoxical respiration where the chest wall moves inward on inspiration and outward on expiration, the opposite of normal breathing. It is important to prevent respiratory insufficiency until patient arrives at the hospital. And also, care must be taken to avoid infections by the inflow of external contaminants to the chest wall and thoracic cavity.
•Dressing for Open Pneumothorax;
A temporary dressing should be applied to the wound at the scene of accident in an attempt to improve ventilation. Open sucking wounds should be covered with a clean square gauze or plastic sheet which is taped only on three sides (“three-way dressing”) to avoid a tension pneumothorax.
Packing or suturing the wound before inserting the thoracostomy tube also can cause tension pneumothorax. Usually, it is
better to insert the chest tube through the normal skin away from the wound