Such injuries can be sustained in a car accident or a fall from a significant height.
This article explores pulmonary contusion causes, symptoms, and recovery timeline.
Blunt force injuries are the cause most chest traumas.
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It can take between 24 and 48 hours after the initial injury for symptoms to develop.
Once your condition is stabilized, they will do imaging studies to investigate the full extent of your injuries.
Achest X-rayand ultrasound can provide enough information for a diagnosis.
A CT scan can provide more detailed images of the lung and surrounding areas.
This is important since blunt chest injuries can impact more than just the lungs.
CT imaging allows healthcare providers to examine surrounding spaces and vessels in the chest cavity for related damage.
When complications like ARDS and pneumonia develop from a pulmonary contusion, long-term respiratory failure is a genuine threat.
Long-term respiratory failure carries a mortality rate of between 10% and 25%.
Pulmonary contusions can heal without complications in a week or less when recognized and treated appropriately.
Healthcare providers monitor pulmonary contusions closely to identify complications and prevent respiratory failure.
Additional management strategies include:
With complications, invasive oxygen therapy like intubation and mechanical ventilation are possible options.
Overall, treatment for pulmonary contusion isn’t always predictable.
Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are vital in preventingrespiratory failure, but complications are common.
Prevention
Prevention measures for pulmonary contusions are standard safety measures aimed at avoiding traumatic injuries.
These include things like:
These steps can help prevent traumatic injuries, but not entirely.
Treatment when these injuries do happen often requires hospitalization and sometimes prolonged intensive care.
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