What’s another name for the chest cavity?
thoracic cavity
What surrounds the chest cavity?
the ribs
What borders the thoracic cavity inferiorly and superior to the abdominal cavity? it seperates the two and acts as a floor
diaphragm
The [BLANK] is a hollow area in the middle of the thoracic cavity between the left and right lungs
mediastinum
What does the mediastinum house? (5)
- Trachea (conduit to the lungs)
- Vena cava (two great veins carrying blood to the heart)
- Aorta (great artery carrying blood from the heart)
- Esophagus (tubelike structure that connects the pharynx with the stomach)
- The heart
The rectangular portion of the anterior chest framed by the clavicles superiorly, midclavicular lines laterally, and costal margin inferior is referred to as the what?
cardiac box
*any penetrating or blunt to this area dramatically increases the likelihood of a cardiac or great vessel injury
Give me the layers of the pleura is from the outermost layer to the innermost layer
Parietal pleura, (contact with thoracic lungs) pleura space, visceral pleura (in contact with lungs)
*The two pleural layers are separated by serious fluid that provides lubrication to reduce friction
What is the space between the pleural layers called? While it is the pleural space, it has another name
Potential space
If there is a puncture to the visceral pleura, the parietal pleura, or both pleuras, the seal is broken and air is sucked into the pleural space with each breath. The injuried hemithorax cannot generate enough negative pressure (vaccum) to draw enough air into the trachea and into the into the injured lung. This lack of vacuum causes the lung to partially expand or in severe cases not expand at all. Leading to what condition?
Pneumothorax
