Presented by: Andrew S. McCague, DO, Trauma and Critical Care Surgeon, Natividad Medical Center

SimLab Case: A 44 year-old male arrives by EMS to a tertiary care ED where the trauma team has been activated. He was the driver in a single-vehicle MVC. He presents screaming and moaning with a GCS of 13.  He has an obvious open fracture of his right forearm. He also has decreased air entry to the right side of his chest. The team will need to recognize the tension pneumothorax as part of their primary survey. They will then need to irrigate and splint the right arm after they have completed their secondary survey. As the secondary survey is being completed, the patient will become hypotensive again. This time, the team will find free fluid in the RUQ.

Desired Outcomes:

• Perform safe primary survey and a proper secondary survey.
• Recognize and decompress a tension pneumothorax.
• Appropriately manage an open fracture in a trauma patient.