Chest Trauma
Chest trauma is well recognised to occur following high velocity trauma such as traffic related injury, but frequently occurs as the result of falls and low velocity injury in the elderly (Curtis et al. 2016).
The management of chest trauma has demonstrated the need for multi-modal care, including pain relief, physiotherapy, respiratory interventions and more recently the options for surgical stabilisation (Barrett-Connor et al. 2010), (Kourouche et al. 2018).
Training resource kits
Each kit is a collection of tools and resources to guide the effective delivery of a trauma education event. The kits are designed for use in any Queensland Health facility and can be modified by the facilitator to the needs of the learner, as well as the environment in which the education is being delivered.
Immersive scenario
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with useful resources and key practice points to assist them to identify and manage respiratory complications in patients following blunt chest trauma injuries.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target Audience: Ward-based nursing and physiotherapy clinicians.
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with the skills and knowledge to effectively assess and manage a patient suffering blunt chest trauma injuries. The scenario encompasses the decision making and procedural skill for insertion of an intercostal catheter to manage a traumatic haemo-pneumothorax.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target Audience: Emergency department medical and nursing clinicians.
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with the skills to assess and manage low velocity penetrating chest wall trauma. The scenario encompasses the decision making and procedural skill for insertion of an intercostal catheter to manage a traumatic haemo-pneumothorax.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target Audience: Emergency department medical and nursing clinicians.
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Procedural skill
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with knowledge of the technical skills required
for the set up and insertion of an intercostal catheter (ICC) and chest drain system
management for the management of haemothorax or pneumothorax following trauma.
Duration: 45 minutes.
Target Audience: Medical and nursing clinicians.
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with knowledge of the technical skills required for the insertion of an intercostal catheter (ICC) for the management of haemothorax or pneumothorax following trauma.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Medical clinicians.
This resource kit provides the learner with the opportunity to explore ventilation strategies for different trauma presentations.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Medical and nursing clinicians.
Case discussion
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills on how to optimise the management of a patient with an ICC and chest drainage systems following a traumatic chest injury.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Medical, nursing, and allied health clinicians.
This resource kit provides healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills to perform the insertion of an intercostal catheter (ICC) to manage a patient with blunt chest trauma, including the indications and considerations for ICC placement.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Emergency department medical, nursing and allied health clinicians.
This resource kit provides an opportunity to explore the assessment and management of patients who sustain chest trauma.
Duration: 20 minutes.
Target Audience: Emergency department nursing clinicians.
This resource kit provides case-based scenario to discuss the investigation and management options for a patient with possible blunt cardiac injury following trauma.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Emergency department medical and nursing clinicians.
This resource kit provides the opportunity to discuss the management of patients with blunt chest trauma.
Duration: 30 minutes.
Target Audience: Emergency department medical and nursing clinicians.
Clinical guidelines
Links to relevant clinical guidelines
Clinical Excellence Queensland’s Blunt Chest Trauma CPG – Blunt chest trauma refers to any injury of the chest wall or within the thoracic cavity arising from a blunt mechanism or force.
Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) have advice and recommendations to help guide clinical decision making and optimise patient care and safety.
Queensland Aeromedical’s Standard Operating Procedure for Chest Trauma
Other resources
Other resources and tools on the topic of chest trauma.
Clinical resources
Flowcharts
Videos
Clinical Specialists from retrievals, emergency, surgical, anaesthetics, intensive care, nursing and allied health provide an insight into the journey of a patient who has sustained major trauma in far north Queensland. Key practice points from the Blunt Chest Trauma clinical guideline are used to highlight the importance of an integrated and cohesive trauma system.
Clinical Specialists from retrievals, emergency, surgical, anaesthetics, intensive care, nursing and allied health provide an insight into the journey of a patient who has sustained major trauma in far north Queensland. Key practice points from the Blunt Chest Trauma clinical guideline are used to highlight the importance of an integrated and cohesive trauma system.
An education session for ward nurses that reviews the relevant chest anatomy for assessment of patients with suspected blunt chest trauma
An education session that discusses chest injury rehabilitation
An education session for ward nurses that discusses benefits, adjuncts, and problems of regional analgesia.
How to teach Airlife Incentive Spirometer by Queensland Trauma Education
How to teach Triflo Incentive Spirometer by Queensland Trauma Education
This video will demonstrate the application of the pelvic binder for suspected or confirmed pelvic injury.
Last updated: March 21, 2025
