A first aid class/briefing that teaches how to apply a dressing to an open chest wound. If an object punctures the chest wall, permitting air to enter between the chest wall and the lung, the lung collapses. Any degree of collapse, interferes with the body’s ability to expand the lung and absorb oxygen. Even if one lung is collapsing, the other lung may be functioning, assuming that side of the chest is intact. The first aid procedure for a casualty with a penetrating chest wound is to prevent the lung from collapsing any more than it has already by placing an airtight seal over the wound.
NOTE: This document is in MS PowerPoint
