Lung puncture--also referred to as pneumothorax or a collapsed lung--can occur when your chest sustains severe trauma, such as a rib fracture or knife wound. Such injuries cause air to abnormally collect around the lungs. When this happens, the...
After someone sustains a chest injury, his condition should be immediately assessed. The bones of the chest help protect vital organs, including the lungs and the heart. If muscles and bones are damaged, it could affect breathing and even be...
Numerous conditions can cause pain in the back below the right shoulder blade. According to the Spine Health website, although upper back pain, including pain below the right shoulder blade, is not a common disorder, problems in this area can...
When you have injured your breast in an accident, you should go to the emergency room immediately for an x-ray to look for additional possible injuries such as broken ribs, punctured lungs or damage to the other organs such as the heart,...
Chemotherapy is a common treatment for patients with cancer. It is designed to selectively terminate cells that are very rapidly dividing. Because cancer cells divide more quickly than normal cells, they will be more affected by the chemotherapy....
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a technique used to support the circulation of blood and oxygen in the body of a victim who is not breathing and does not have a pulse. CPR is physically invasive for the victim and techniques used during...
Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is an emergency life-saving technique involving manual external compressions of the chest as well as providing rescue breathing to promote blood movement of oxygenation to vital organs such as the brain and...
The Chinese practice of acupuncture is one of the world's oldest medical treatments. Its goal, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, is to heal chronic pain or illnesses by penetrating the skin's surface with...
A flail chest creates a free floating, broken segment of ribs that moves opposite from the rest of the chest wall when breathing in and out. A flail chest most often occurs when there is significant blunt force to the chest.
The rib cage is a group of bones that extend from your back, around your body to your chest. A fractured rib is a common injury, and is usually the result of a trauma or sports injury. You can also crack a rib during a particularly bad bout of...
A sharp pain in the right or left side, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, dizziness and an increased respiratory rate are some symptoms of a collapsed lung, or pneumothorax. The pain will get progressively worse, because a collapsed lung...
Injuries that crush the chest and abdomen are common in automobile accidents. These types of injuries occur as the driver's body compresses against the steering wheel. Wearing seat belts dramatically reduces the incidence and severity of crushing...
Pain in your ribs following a fall or other form of blunt trauma to your ribcage can be a sign of injury. Exercising with this condition may make your pain worse, especially if the exercise you are completing requires stretching of the muscles...
The American Cancer Society does not recognize acupuncture as a proven means to quit smoking and drinking. However, it may be used to alleviate secondary symptoms of withdrawal such as headaches and nausea. Acupuncture is effective in treating...
A rib fracture, or broken rib, usually occurs as the result of trauma to the rib cage or illnesses that weaken the bones. An accident, cancer, osteoporosis, contact sports or weight-bearing activities such as weight lifting are common causes of a...
A pacemaker is a medical device that is implanted in the chest and connected to the heart to help control irregular heartbeats, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Different types of pacemakers treat different kinds of heart...
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is used to treat cardiac arrest. The person performing CPR gives oxygen by breathing into the person's mouth or by forcing oxygen into the lungs via an oxygen mask, while also compressing the chest to squeeze...
A pneumothorax can be a serious lung condition that causes difficulty with breathing, sharp chest pain and chest tightness. A pneumothorax occurs when air escapes from the lungs and fills the pleural space, which is the area between the lungs and...
Left shoulder blade pain has many causes. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, the shoulder is one of the body's more unstable joints, and it's the site of many common problems. The...
An interscalene nerve block is a form of local anesthetic used prior to shoulder surgery. This anesthetic is applied to specific nerves within the shoulder by an anesthesiologist using a thin needle. Immediately after interscalene nerve block...
Intrascalene nerve block is a common misspelling of a regional anesthetic called interscalene nerve block. This injectable treatment is administered into the nerves within the shoulder prior to shoulder surgery. Complication of interscalene nerve...
Surgery to implant a pacemaker, a small device that helps regulate the heartbeat, is a relatively minor procedure that causes complications in fewer than 5 percent of patients, according to MayoClinic.com. Pacemakers are safely implanted in older...
Bruising around the ribs makes it hard to keep your golf swing smooth. Crack a rib and you can wave goodbye to the course until the bone heals. Playing golf with a fractured rib is not only painful, it's potentially dangerous. A bone shard...
A biopsy of the lungs is a diagnostic procedure during which a doctor removes a small portion of the lung tissue for further evaluation. Typically, this test is performed on patients with suspected lung disease or infection, such as lung cancer or...
Any injury that pierces the skin carries a risk of infection. The best way to avoid infection is to clean the wound as quickly as possible after it happens. The best way to clean a puncture wound is to let it bleed. You can gently press on the...
Spiriva is the brand name for the prescription drug tiotropium. According to Mayo Clinic, this medication belongs to a class of drugs known as bronchodilators. This type of medication decreases symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and shortness...
A feeding tube is a flexible, small lumen, hollow tube that is inserted into the stomach. The duration of time that the tube is in place is dependent upon the patient's needs. A feeding tube is recommended when a patient is unable to receive...
Hypoxemia, or low-blood oxygen, also called hypoxia, can result from illnesses, injuries or diseases. Supplemental oxygen typically corrects the problem and medication prevents susceptibility in patients with chronic conditions. Treatments for...
Numerous conditions or injuries can cause right-sided chest pain. According to MayoClinic.com, chest pain, including right-sided chest pain, can manifest suddenly. Chest pain is one of the most common reasons people seek emergency medical help....
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