What is the recommended treatment for flail chest?

• A. Nebulized Albuterol
• B. Surgical fixation
• C. Defibrillation
• D. Positive Pressure Ventilation

Answer: (D)

Flail chest causes a segment of the chest wall to move paradoxically, which makes breathing very inefficient and can lead to poor oxygenation. The best approach is to stabilize the chest wall and support ventilation. Positive pressure ventilation achieves this by delivering breaths that raise intrathoracic pressure and push the flail segment in sync with the rest of the chest. This internal splinting reduces the paradoxical movement, improves lung inflation, and decreases the work of breathing, which helps mobilize oxygen more effectively.

Nebulized albuterol would treat bronchospasm, not the mechanical instability of the chest wall. Defibrillation is for treating certain cardiac rhythms, not chest trauma. Surgical fixation can be considered in specific situations, but it’s not the initial, broadly recommended treatment like positive pressure ventilation, which addresses the immediate ventilation issues that flail chest creates.